Crossing the Bridge
by RRyanForever
Summary: First season 'family' defines itself. Complete.
1. Leaving Home

Note: This story is meant to take place immediately following "Family Tree", which is where the conversation about 'deciding who you are' occurs. Check it out, it's a classic. Everything here on in deviates from the original plotline to a reality that only exists in my head.

* * *

3 a.m.:

As Richie crept through the kitchen, careful not to disturb the couple sleeping soundly in the master bedroom, Duncan's words ran through his head. When the Immortal had first told him "You get to decide who you are" a few hours earlier, he had simply taken the words as the man's way of providing solace. But as the day wore on and he watched the comfortable, easy interaction that Duncan and Tessa had, he came to realize that they knew who they were. They were a couple deeply in love who were sharing a life and he, Richie Ryan, was not ever meant to have a place in that life. Dropping an envelope on the counter and turning back to take one last look at the loft, he couldn't quite bite back a sob. However, neither that sob nor the sound of the back door stirred either Duncan or Tessa from their respective slumbers.

* * *

Three hours later:

"Do you want me to start the coffee?" Duncan asked through a yawn as he paddled his way across the bedroom. Despite 12 years of experience, Tessa had still not adapted to the man's penchant to wake at 6 a.m.

"Please." She mumbled under the covers. With a slight smile, Duncan headed towards the kitchen to make himself a bite to eat before his morning run. It wasn't until he had blinked off his momentary blindness from the rising sun and had the coffee well under way that he noticed the small envelope with the word "Mac" written in the upper corner.

Leaning over to check the eggs, he tore the envelope open and pulled the single sheet of lined paper out.

"Mac,

Taking your advice. Went to 'decide who I am.' Thanks for everything.

Richard Ryan."

It wasn't until he had read through the brief message three times that he began to comprehend it. After a final reading, he sprung into action.

"Tessa? Tess!" His impatient yelling had its desired effect; she was fully awake now.

But that didn't mean she was happy to see him. "The sun isn't even up yet, Duncan. What are you yelling about?"

"Richie!" He replied impatiently, coming to a stop a few feet from the edge of the bed.

She sighed softly at the implication. Duncan already annoyed about something the boy had done was not a good sign for how the rest of the day would go. "What about him?"

"He's gone." The Immortal said it in the same tone, but now Tessa realized her mistake. She had confused panic with anger.

She sat up quickly, ignoring her normal preference of rising slowly. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"Look for yourself." As he thrust the now-crinkled paper at her, he watched impatiently as she carefully read the short, yet powerful, words.

Tears were brimming over by the time she turned her gaze back upon him. "Find him."

It wasn't a request.


	2. Unwelcome Discoveries

9:01 a.m.

"I thought he started at 9."

The clerk gave Duncan a sympathetic look before turning his gaze back to the files on the counter. "I'm sure he'll be here any minute, sir."

After another three minutes of pacing, the Immortal called out impatiently, a notch louder than he had meant to. "Powell."

The officer looked up at him in surprise before leaning over to grab a second donut. "MacLeod, right?"

"Yeah, MacLeod." Duncan could barely contain his anger at the man's seeming indifference to his need for the officer's attention.

Powell finally made his way over and was hastily followed by the impatient Scotsman as he strolled back to his desk. "What can I do for you, Mr. MacLeod?"

"I'm here about Richie Ryan." Duncan spoke quickly, leaning over the desk in a vain attempt to draw a bit more of the man's attention.

The attempt was not successful. However, the mention of the teen did peak the officer's interest. "Didn't he rob your store?"

"Yeah, that's him." Duncan replied, his very thin patience sliding further out of his grasp. "He took off. Could you give me any leads on where to find him?"

"Took off?" The officer looked down again, losing interest in what was looking to be an uninteresting case.

"Yeah, took off." Duncan's tone hardened even further as he watched the man once again turn his focus away.

Hoping for at least a bit of action, the officer prodded. "Did he take something of yours?"

"No, he didn't take something. He's a kid and he's out on his own. I just want to know if you have any idea where he might go." It took all of the Scotsman's restraint not to shake the man.

That restraint did not take the officer's shrug well at all. "Check with his caseworker or foster parents." Fortunately for the ancient's criminal record, the officer's response shocked him into a momentary silence.

"Foster parents? Richie's 18." Duncan finally replied; annoyed at how little help the officer had turned out to be.

"Not last time I checked." Powell said it matter-of-factly, now studying his papers carefully.

Duncan firmly sat his hand in the middle of the reading material before resuming his questioning. "Last time we talked, you told me 'next month he turns 18.' Now unless I'm mistaken, that month has come and gone."

"Look, MacLeod." Powell finally returned the ancient's gaze. "This kid needs to do some time to get himself straightened out. You were soft because he was a minor. You weren't being rational."

"Are you telling me you lied about his age?" Fire shot from his eyes.

The officer shifted awkwardly under the stare. "Look…"

"How old?" Duncan demanded.

"It's really a matter of experience, not age…" He tried again.

Duncan pounded his fist against the desk. "How old, Powell?"

"I think around 16, give or take a few months. You'd have to check with his social worker." He quickly replied.

The fire that consumed Duncan allowed him to ask only one question. "Where do I find this person?"

* * *

10:43 a.m.

"What did you say your name was again?" The woman asked distractedly.

Duncan would have sworn she was sixteen still herself. "MacLeod. Duncan MacLeod."

"And what is it you wanted to know about this Richie…" She trailed off.

The Immortal quickly completed the sentence for her. "Ryan. Richie Ryan. He's been living with me and he took off this morning. Officer Powell suggested you might know where to find him."

"Well, I'm really not supposed to give out the home addresses of minors…" She replied hesitantly.

This caused a slight outburst from the frustrated man. "He lives with me. I know his address!" He took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry. I just want to find him and bring him home. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, let me just take a look at his file." The caseworker seemed content to accept his apology. She read off the information slowly. "Right now he is living with a Karen Abbott. He's been there for 2 ½ years."

"He lives with me." Duncan remained much calmer than he thought was possible.

The caseworker frowned. "Well, you could check with Ms. Abbott…"

"Alright." He answered impatiently. "Do you have an address?"

The woman typed a few lines into her computer and paused, waiting for her desired information to come onscreen before replying. "Well, she was at 23 Glencourt until 13 months ago. Then…oh, my."

"What?" Duncan questioned.

The social worker was turning a noticeable shade of pink. "It seems Ms. Abbott was killed in a car accident a little over a year ago."

Duncan sighed. He hated the idea of Richie falling through the cracks like that. Of course, he had always suspected that was the case. But for it to be confirmed like this was just appalling. He decided to get back to his original mission: finding Richie. "Could you tell me where he was last enrolled in school?"

"Jameson Sr. Cross town address." She replied quietly.

He turned back to her, still desiring one last piece of information. "How old is he?"

She gave him an odd look before reviewing the file in front of her. "He'll be 16 in January. January 12th."

"Damn it." How could he not have seen it? Why had he just taken Powell's word? 15.

As Duncan stormed out of the building, not even bothering to get the address, he couldn't help but notice the weather. A storm was coming; soon. He hoped desperately that Richie was somewhere safe.


	3. Friends of the Past

12:15 p.m.

As he quickly stepped into the grass to avoid the spray coming off the side of the semi, Richie couldn't help but regret not having checked the weather before heading out. Ducking into the covered bus stop for temporary shelter, he quickly pulled his faded Redskins cap out of his bag. A few minutes later, he resigned himself to the fact that this storm was far from over and stepped back into the downpour. If he was going to reach his destination by nightfall, he was going to have to step up the pace.

* * *

1:15 p.m.

"Really, I had no idea." The portly old coach seemed genuinely surprised by what Duncan told him. "I just assumed he had been reassigned after Karen died. He always showed up for school; excelled in classes. He was a real asset to the team. Only freshman on the Varsity Squad."

"You weren't worried when he didn't come back this fall?" Duncan prodded.

The question brought a frown to the man's face. "I just assumed he got transferred. Foster kids tend to move around a lot."

"I see." The Immortal simply nodded his head in resignation. Apparently, no one was very concerned about this particular teenager. "You wouldn't happen to know any of his friends, would you? Someone he might have gone to?"

"Have you talked to Jason?" The educator's expression darkened noticeably as he said the name.

Causing Duncan more anxiety. "Who's Jason? Richie's never mentioned him."

"Jason Charleston. Karen's boyfriend, on occasion at least. If Richie managed for a year after Karen's death, odds are Jason was helping him. He was around all the time, even after Karen died. The man had a real fondness for Richie." The coach explained.

Duncan studied his expression closely. "You don't seem to have the same fondness for this Jason."

"Hardly," The coach replied shortly. "Let's just say he isn't the best of role models. He really did look out for Richie though, treated him like a kid brother. Came to games, picked him up from practice. He really stepped out of character where Richie was concerned."

"He was in a gang?" Duncan was almost afraid to ask.

But the answer terrified him even more. "A guy like Jason would consider gang members amateurs."

"Where would I find this Jason Charleston?" Duncan questioned.

The older man frowned. "Take my word, Mr. MacLeod. You don't want to drop in on Jason without an invitation. "

"If he knows where Richie is, I'm going to see him. Please, do you have any idea where I should look?"

"He works at Stockholm Lumber, on the docks. I'm telling you though; they don't welcome uninvited visitors there. Especially ones they don't know." The coach once again warned.

But Duncan wasn't swayed. "Thanks for the tip."

"MacLeod." Duncan turned back to him briefly. "When you find Richie, you really ought to consider getting him to reenroll. We're still in the first quarter, and Richie's a smart one. He could probably stay on schedule."

"Thanks for the advice." At that the Immortal stepped out of the gymnasium, exited the school and headed for the waterfront.

* * *

1:20 p.m.

As Richie read the mileage on the roadside sign, he was far from reassured. He was a long way from his destination. A very long, very wet way from his destination. As he trudged around the corner, he was relieved to see a rest stop up ahead. He silently thanked the Washington state government for providing stops for it's weary highway travelers. Sure, they were meant for those tired of being cramped up in cars, but that didn't mean he wouldn't take full advantage of the benefit. After all, his feet were in need of as much rest as the worn rear-ends of those who rode inside those cushioned cars. A cup of coffee and a dry bench to sit on would be welcome relief.

* * *

3:10 p.m.

As Duncan stepped into the warehouse, every man there turned to look at him. He stated his business loudly and plainly, so everyone could hear. "I'm looking for a Jason Charleston. Anyone here know where I can find him?"

A couple of men stepped forward, advancing on him in a way Duncan had seen before. He didn't really care though. He was more than prepared for a fight.

"It's all right." A short, thin, far from intimidating young man appeared from behind a doorway.

Duncan was surprised by the response the man's words heeded. All three predators immediately stopped their advance on the Immortal and stepped aside so Duncan could have a better view of their leader. The frail speaker nodded his head in the direction of the office, which Duncan accepted as an invitation without question.

As he sat down on a leather couch, the young man closed the door behind himself, providing a level of privacy that Duncan had never expected. "What can I do for you, Mr. MacLeod?"

"You know me?" Now the Scotsman was almost certain he was talking to the man he was seeking.

The smaller man smiled slightly. "You and I have a mutual acquaintance. I'm correct in assuming that's why you've come, aren't I?"

"Have you seen him?" Duncan was in no mood for niceties. He simply wanted to find Richie and get them both out of there.

But the frown that darkened the man's face made it clear that that was not going to happen. "You don't know where he is?"

"He took off early this morning. He isn't here?" The Immortal pressed.

Causing the frown to grow. "No. I haven't seen him. Why did he leave?"

"Does it matter?" The Scotsman asked hotly.

But the fragile looking man was not one to be intimidated by a few sharp words. "It means the difference between my helping you and hurting you."

"He left a note, said he was leaving to 'discover who he is'. I just want to find him and bring him home, all right?" Duncan explained sharply.

Jason sighed. "Discover himself, huh? Damn that kid. He never was one to use his head when it counted. In school or a hyst, sure. But when it comes to his own well being, I swear he just doesn't think."

"Tell me about it." Duncan sympathized.

Jason gave him a startled look before breaking into a grin. "You've discovered that already? I guess he broke you in quick."

"I'm a fast study. How'd he break you in?" He was more than a little curious about this man's association with the boy.

Jason smiled again. "Forgot to eat, stupid as that sounds. We're climbing through a shop window and his stomach let's out a low growl. Not exactly professional."

"You had him steal for you?" Duncan questioned darkly.

Jason was not in an apologetic mood. "He was a street kid who needed to survive. I kept him in school and out of the drug scene, not exactly easy tasks around here."

"And you thought teaching him how to steal was the best thing for him?" The Immortal challenged.

Jason was quick to defend himself. "I thought letting him work for you was the best thing for him. What can I say? Apparently I don't always know what I'm doing."

Duncan was about to lash out when he realized the man was right. It was he that Richie lived with, not this man. Jason had nothing to do with Richie's leaving. Avenging the teen's past was going to have to wait. Right now all he wanted to do was find the boy and bring him home. The more he learned about Richie's history, the more determined he was that the boy needed him.

And whether he liked it or not, it looked as though he was going to need this man's help to find him. He would beg if he had to. "You're right, I'm not perfect. But right now the only thing that matters is finding Richie and bringing him home, where he'll be safe. Please, do you have any idea where he might be?"

"Discover himself, hum?" Jason questioned.

Causing a quick response from the Scotsman. "Something like that. Does it mean something to you?"

"Maybe." The man relented. "Have you checked the bridge?"


	4. The Crossing

4:45 p.m.

"Richie?"

The eager question was the first thing Duncan heard when he entered the loft. Not wanting to get Tessa's hopes up any further than his entrance already had, the Immortal quickly called out in response. "It's just me, Tess."

"Did you find out anything?' The Frenchwoman asked anxiously.

As Duncan rounded the corner and got a good look at her, he was surprised at how frazzled she appeared. A woman who prided herself on her appearance, Tessa was not one to go without makeup and a fashionable outfit. Today she wore old jeans and a ponytail. He realized that she was dressed for action. If Richie was somewhere unsavory, she was more than prepared to go get him herself. He had no doubt that she had been sitting by the phone since he left, anxiously awaiting a call from the teen.

More than anything, he just wanted to get on the road and find the boy. But as he looked at his lover, he realized she deserved an explanation. This was not an Immortal challenge or a case of his past coming back to haunt him. This was about Richie and, as he looked at her anxious face, he realized that Tessa's feelings for the boy were as strong as his own. Yes, this woman deserved to know what was going on.

"Quite a lot actually. I'm gonna have to give you the short version, though. I think I know where Richie's headed and I need to beat him there."

Tessa looked at him in anticipation, more than a little anxious to be let in on the knowledge Duncan possessed.

* * *

5:30 p.m.

Richie was very happy to note that he was no longer leaving wet footprints behind him. Not that he was entirely dry, but at least the rain had stopped and he was no longer soaked to the bone. Looking into the distance, he was more than a little relieved to see a truck-stop diner. The coffee he had hours earlier had been far from adequate in providing the energy he needed to complete his marathon walk. A few more miles and he might have given up, but that diner was a welcome reprieve. He was sure that after a hot meal he would be more than ready to continue his journey. He was determined to cross the bridge if it killed him. All hope he had lay on the other side.

* * *

5:45 p.m.

While slowly driving the thirty miles to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Duncan found himself scanning the sides of the highway, hoping against hope that he would spot the teen along the way. When he realized he was doing it, he used all his restraint to stop himself. Realistically, he knew it would be better for everyone in the long run if he met Richie on the other side. As illogical as he thought Richie's desire to cross the Tacoma was, if it would make him feel more secure with his life, Duncan was willing to allow him to cross. But he had no doubt that if he saw the boy walking alongside the highway there was no way he was going to have enough restraint not to snatch him up then and there. Despite his realization that it would be best if he didn't recognize Richie, he just couldn't quite stop himself from scanning the perimeters.

* * *

6:30 p.m.

As Duncan crossed the bridge, he couldn't help but wonder what the appeal was. Sure, Jason had given the short version of the story behind its significance, but he couldn't wait to question Richie about it. For the streetwise teen to have such an unrealistic expectation of a bridge was very out of character. There had to be more to the story than he had been told. If only he could question Richie. As he pulled off the bridge and into a nearby lot, he realized he didn't even care. Questioning the boy was only a very minor fringe benefit. Now, what he wanted more than anything, was just to find him. He prayed fervently that he had come to the right place. If this wasn't Richie's destination, he had no idea where to go from here. As he walked up to wait at the end of the bridge, he found himself scanning as far as the eye could see for a glimpse of the missing teen.

* * *

7:10 p.m.

Passing another road sign, Richie was greatly relieved to see that he was within five to ten miles of his destination. Still unsure if he could make it that far, he trudged forward. What else was he going to do? There was no Plan B.

* * *

8:45 p.m.

Duncan impatiently paced up the walkway leading to the bridge. He found himself both grateful and annoyed by the ever-increasing darkness. As nighttime began to fall, he found himself unable to see to the other side of the bridge and therefore unable to spot Richie from afar. Darkness had provided him with hope that Richie could only be a few yards from him. But that darkness also reminded him that Richie was walking down the cold, dark highway by himself. That was far from a comforting thought.

* * *

10:20 p.m.

For a few moments he thought he was hallucinating. He had actually reached the bridge. As the teenager neared the place he had only seen through colorful descriptions told in bedtime stories, he found himself fighting off reality. Throughout his entire journey, he had allowed himself to believe that crossing the bridge would make things clear for him. He was relying on a belief he had formed as an idealistic child. Cold, exhausted and still slightly damp, Richie was beginning to question this leap of faith. What could the other side of the bridge hold but another road to walk down and possibly a park bench to sleep on? He shook the nagging concern off and focused back on what he had been taught the bridge represented. Hope. He had walked nearly thirty miles to reach this point. He had left the only relative safety he'd had in as long as he could remember to come here. He needed this bridge to provide the fresh start he had always believed it would. Trudging forward, he slowly stepped onto the bridge. His pace was that of a snail, partly from exhaustion and partly from fear of what he would find, or more likely would not find, once his journey across was complete.

* * *

10:25 p.m.

Duncan paced impatiently as he once again checked his watch. 10:25 p.m. It had been dark for hours and there was still no sign of Richie. He had been worried when the boy had been on his own during the daytime, but the fear he felt at this hour of the night was beyond description. He could barely breath as he thought of Richie being picked up by a passerbyer, or mulled over, or passed out somewhere along the edge of the highway. The scenarios that he had previously been able to keep in the back of his mind had fully surfaced. No longer able to simply wait, he had made up his mind to get in his car and drive up and down the highway when he noticed a very slow-moving figure nearing. A few hundred yards away, he realized that there was someone crossing the bridge. As the figure neared, he realized who it was. Ever fiber of his being screamed at him to run to the boy. But something deep inside ordered him to wait. Richie was only yards away from completing his journey. The Immortal contented himself to wait at the end of the bridge for the boy to come to him. He found himself watching the teen's every movement.

* * *

10:30 p.m.

As Richie stepped off the walkway at the edge of the bridge, he knew that he had reached the end of the line. He had ruined the only dream he had ever had. He had crossed the bridge and still had no idea where he was supposed to be in his life. All he had was a profound sense of loneliness. Well, that and hopelessness. And shear exhaustion. From here on in, he had no idea where he was going, how he was going to get there or even if he would make it through the night. He was, after all, standing at the end of a bridge with no place else to go. He was so consumed in his own sense of hopelessness that he didn't even see Duncan standing only a few feet in front of him. He simply succumbed to his exhaustion and sat down on the edge of the bridge.


	5. Anticipated Reunion

10:31 p.m.

As Duncan squatted in front of the boy, he was terrified by the lack of recognition that he received. Of course he knew that Richie had to be exhausted after having spent more than twenty hours walking almost constantly, but he still didn't like how unaware the boy was of his surroundings. Relief swarmed through every pour in his body as he took the boy's head in his hands. Richie was coherent enough to recognize him.

The teen hesitantly lifted one hand to grip the Immortal's arm as he looked up at him. "Mac?"

"Hey, there." Struggling to maintain his composure, the Scotsman's reply was very gruff.

Richie was well past the point of caring about composure, though. His eyes filled with tears as he whispered his question. "Are you really here?"

"I'm really here." Duncan replied; squeezing the hand Richie had around his arm.

While he had no idea of where he had expected the reunion to go, he was nonetheless thrown by the boy's response. Exhausted, overwhelmed and extremely relieved, the teen simply slumped forward against the Immortal's chest. Before drifting into a sound sleep, he murmured what sounded suspiciously like, "Good."

Duncan shared the sentiment wholeheartedly. He shuttered to think of Richie falling asleep on the edge of a bridge in a strange town late at night. It was a damn good thing he was there, all right. Even as he gathered the boy up and carried him to the car, Richie never flinched. Settling him into the passenger seat, Duncan felt his concern for the child mount as he realized that he was still cold and damp from the early afternoon shower. He didn't like that at all. Roaming as far as Richie had depleted enough of the boy's strength. Being cold and wet on top of that hardly boosted his immune system or gave him additional energy. The Immortal had a feeling Richie was going to be tired and irritable for the next few days, at the least. He hoped fervently he wouldn't end up sick to top it off.

* * *

11:10 p.m.

Even as he rounded the car to retrieve the sleeping teen, Tessa bounded out the door. "Did you find him?"

"I did." He replied quickly, opening the passenger door and leaning in to unbuckle the seatbelt.

As Tessa leaned around him to look for herself, the momentary relief she felt fled. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's all right." Duncan assured her quickly. "Just tired."

"Did you find him like this?" Tessa was horrified at the idea of Richie being passed out somewhere. What if hadn't been Duncan who happened upon him?

Duncan looked up at her briefly as he pulled the boy out. "Not exactly."

"How, exactly, did you find him?" She pressed as she held the door open for the man and scurried ahead to make sure the path to Richie's bedroom was unobstructed.

Depositing the teen on the bed and moving to the dresser to retrieve a warm, dry pair of pajamas for the boy, he thought about how exactly to phrase it. "Exhausted but awake. He didn't fall asleep until I was with him, Tess."

"Where'd you find him?" She questioned.

As he tugged a shoe off the teen, he paused momentarily to ponder how soundly Richie was sleeping. He had not stirred an inch since Duncan had found him on the bridge. He tried to convince himself that it was simply because Richie was exhausted. He didn't want to get overconfident. He wanted to keep control over the part of him fervently praying that the peaceful slumber was induced by the assurance of safety that Duncan's arrival provided the boy.

"I met him at the end of the bridge." He finally replied.

A bit surprised, Tessa questioned him further. "You didn't search up and down the highway?"

"I met him at the end of the bridge." Duncan repeated. "I told you why I thought it was something he needed to do, Tess."

Tessa smiled at the explanation. "I know, sweetheart. I'm just surprised you managed to simply wait there."

As he leaned over the now warm and dry boy, he adjusted the covers one last time before looking back at her. He smiled slightly as he admitted to her, "I was headed to my car to go searching when he turned up."

"I see." She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Well I'm extremely impressed that you managed to hold out that long."

"So am I." He readily admitted. Looking down at the teen once more, he smile slightly at the sleeping form. "Looks like he'll sleep through the night, hum?"

"I would say so." Tessa agreed. "Why don't I make us some tea? You can fill me in on what's going on."

"All right." The Immortal was reluctant to leave the room, but he was the one who suggested the teen would be asleep for quite some time and Tessa did deserve some answers. Actually, they both did. But there were a few questions he was willing to leave unanswered for the night. There would be plenty of time to talk once Richie was rested.


	6. The Morning After

10:15 a.m.

As he rolled himself out of bed, Richie was amazed to see that he had been allowed to sleep in so long. Regardless of whether or not he was supposed to be working the store, Duncan always came in to torment him if he wasn't up by 8 or 9. He paused momentarily to wonder what had possessed the Immortal to allow him a miniature holiday.

It wasn't until he was halfway to the bathroom that he remembered the previous day. He had left. So what was he doing back at the loft? Racking his brain, he tried desperately to remember how he had managed to end up back in his own bed. Could he really have seen Duncan at the end of the bridge? He had a vague memory of seeing the man as he crossed but that couldn't have been real, could it? There was no way the Immortal would have known where he was heading.

Slipping quietly into the bathroom, hoping neither Tessa nor Duncan would realize he was awake until he was safely hidden in the running water, he came to the conclusion that Duncan had to have been at the bridge. There was no other explanation for his current location. As he slowly got around for the day, he wondered what all had transpired the night before.

* * *

11:10 a.m.

"What on earth is taking him so long?" Tessa was far from happy with the amount of time that had passed since she had heard the shower begin to run. Richie normally was stomping around the living room within 20 minutes of starting a shower. The teen was not exactly high maintenance. This morning, though, his shower itself had lasted longer than his entire morning routine normally would. She was more than ready for the boy to join them. There was a lot to discuss and she was tired of the anticipation that accompanied the wait.

Duncan, however, was surprisingly calm. "He had a long day yesterday, Tess. He's probably still stiff and tired. A long shower is good for the muscles."

"Tired." She rolled her eyes at the implication. "He isn't tired, he's stalling."

"Of course he is." Duncan admitted. "But who can really blame him? He has no idea of what to expect from us."

"What should he expect from us?" Tessa realized that they had not really discussed how they were going to approach the teen. Despite spending half the night talking about the boy, they had never really discussed confronting him.

Duncan sighed as she voiced the question he himself had been pondering for hours. "I have no idea, Tess. I guess we'll just have to play it by ear."

"You don't think we should have some sort of plan about how we're going to confront him?" She pressed.

Duncan looked over at her, truly at a loss. "About what? Leaving? His past? His relationship with us?"

"All of it." Tessa firmly stated. "We need to get things cleared up, Duncan. We need to get everything out in the open and make our intentions towards him clear."

"I know." He walked across the living room to wrap his arms around her. "I'm just not sure how we do that without scaring him."

"Scaring him." Tessa scoffed at the idea. "He lies about his age."

"He didn't exactly lie, Tessa. He just never corrected our assumptions." Duncan defended the action, remembering Richie's 'I already had my birthday this year' when Duncan asked him when he was turning 18. At the time, he took the evasive answer at face value.

"Please." The Frenchwoman was having nothing to do with that argument. "He lied about his age. Then he runs away from home to top it off."

"I doubt he sees it that way." Duncan defended.

But Tessa was not in the mood to see things from the teen's perspective. "I'm sure he doesn't."

"He sees us as his employers. He just decided it was time to move on." Duncan explained quietly, hating the realization of how Richie truly saw them.

Tessa, too, hated the idea that he would leave an impersonal note, as if resigning his position to casual acquaintances. "Well that is one misconception that needs cleared up. Immediately."

"Immediately." Duncan repeated, assuring her that they were on the same page.

As they quietly stood in the living room, holding onto one another and lost in their own thoughts, both jumped at the parroted response from down the hallway. "Immediately."

Both adults turned as Richie came down the hall, fully dressed and ready for the day. The joking tone he used fooled neither of them. The teen was nervous. As he looked hesitantly at them and joined the conversation, both could see the tension even in his walk. "What are you doing immediately?"


	7. Shocking Confrontation

A few seconds passed as Duncan and Tessa stared at the teen, unprepared for his entrance. It was Duncan who composed himself first. The look of trepidation on Richie's face made the Immortal's course of action crystal clear. He let go of Tessa and crossed the room with a few long strides to lift the teen off the ground in a bone crunching bear hug. "Hugging you." He said into the side of the teen's head before planting him back on his own two feet and landing a kiss on top of his curls. "Immediately."

Still in shock from the Immortal's uncharacteristic and completely unexpected display of affection, the stunned teen allowed himself to be turned around to face the waiting Tessa. The Frenchwoman's response did not exactly mirror that of her lover. Grabbing the teen by both shoulders, she shook him, as if wanting to bring some sense into his head. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how foolish what you did was? Running off in the middle of the night, walking along major highways by yourself, not giving us any clue about where you were. What on earth were you thinking? There are bad people in this world, Richie. Someone could have grabbed you up off the side of the highway and we would have had no idea where to find you."

"Tessa, I." Richie began to defend himself.

But Tessa would hear none of it. "I am not finished." Her tone left no room for argument. "Do you know how easily you could have been hit by a vehicle? There is a reason all the signs say 'no pedestrians', young man. And to think you could walk so far. You feel asleep on the side of a bridge, Richie! You go to a strange town, in the middle of the night and are not even alert as you walk around. What if Duncan hadn't found you? Hum? What would have happened then? Do you really think you would have just been left in peace along the side of the road? Do you?"

"I didn't." Richie once again interjected.

"Certainly not." Tessa continued. "You could have been hit by an oncoming car. Drivers certainly aren't looking for sleeping boys on the side of the highway. And the drunks that surely drive along that bridge at night!"

"I wasn't." Richie once again attempted to defend himself.

"You didn't even flinch when you got home, Richie. Duncan managed to carry you off that bridge, drive home with you, bring you in, get you changed and tuck you into bed. You didn't move an inch the entire time! Do you have any idea what could have been done to you while you slept? What if it hadn't been Duncan? What then?"

"I wouldn't have." Richie didn't even know what to say.

But it really didn't matter. Tessa wasn't interested. "I don't want to hear it, young man. You sit yourself down on that couch. We are going to have a long talk and get some things straight."

"Yes, ma'am." There was not even a trace of sarcasm in Richie's response. He quickly made his way over to the couch, keeping one eye on Tessa the entire time, and perched himself on the edge of it, flinching slightly from a combination of sore muscles and trepidation as he went.

"Well, do you have anything to add?" As Tessa turned her attention to Duncan, he attempted to pull his jaw off the floor. The tirade he had just witnessed was the last thing he had expected from Tessa. And the last thing he thought Richie needed. He certainly didn't want the boy to fear them; he had already witnessed first hand Richie's response to any sort of discomfort: fleeing.

Duncan snapped himself out of his own thoughts and focused on the situation at hand. "We need to talk." He looked directly at Tessa, letting her know he was serious. "Right now."

"Fine." She replied accommodatingly before turning her attention back to Richie. "We will be right back." With a wagging finger to accentuate her point she warned. "Don't you move an inch."

As Tessa swiftly moved towards their bedroom, Duncan paused to look at Richie. He appeared absolutely stunned by the turn of events. The Immortal leaned over to give the teen a quick kiss on the top of the head. As the boy turned wide eyes on him, Duncan became more determined to figure things out with Tessa. They were definitely not on the same page about how to handle the teen and that needed to change, immediately. He gently squeezed Richie on the back of the neck and gave his best smile. "Give us a minute, partner."

At Richie's hesitant nod, Duncan turned from him to follow Tessa down the hallway. The irony of the situation hit him with full force. He knew it was time to hash some things out, he just hadn't realized that it was he and Tessa who needed to do it.


	8. Getting the Point

Author's Note: This chapter references the episode "Family Tree" a great deal, i.e. the Jack parts. If you don't remember it well or haven't seen it, you might get lost on some of the references. Drop me an e-mail and I will be more than happy to fill you in on the basics of the episode (as it is one of my personal favorites).

* * *

Closing the door gently behind him, Duncan turned to face his enraged lover. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"I most certainly have not." Tessa was indignant at the accusation. "I am not the one who went traipsing across the state and almost got myself killed."

"Tessa, he's fine." Duncan replied tiredly.

But that reassurance far from calmed the woman. "I know that. I also know how dangerous what he did was. We cannot simply let him get away with something so foolish."

"Of course not, but yelling at him isn't going to help anything." Duncan shot back.

Only for Tessa to quickly retaliate. "And giving him hugs and kisses is?"

"It's better he trust us than fear us." The Immortal returned.

The Frenchwoman had no problem handling that argument. "It is better he respect us and knows we are in charge."

"He knows we're in charge, Tess. He is more than aware of who owns this place and who signs his checks. Power isn't the issue." Duncan shot back.

Tessa was not grasping his logic. "If power isn't the issue than what is he doing running off without telling us? Obviously, he thinks he is in control."

"Of his own life, yes." Duncan relented. "He sees us as temporary, Tess. We take care of him now by mutual agreement. He works here, we maintain him. It's an arrangement made between adults that can be ended by either him or us at any time."

"He is 15, Duncan!" Tessa was indignant.

"He's acting 18, though." The man reasoned. "And he probably thinks he is more than capable of playing the role. After all, we believed him for this long."

"He always seemed young." Tessa nodded slowly. "But who were we to question?"

"Exactly. Who are we?" Duncan replied, glad she had led up to his point so well.

The Frenchwoman did not understand, however. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"We've spent the last few weeks not questioning, letting him live his own life. All of a sudden we learn a bit more about him and decided to step in. What right do we have, Tess?" Duncan replied.

"Every right." Tessa was enraged. "We are not simple acquaintances! We have never simply allowed him to live his own life, Duncan Macleod. You know very well how much a part of our lives he has become. Finding out his age has nothing to do with my wanting him here with us. We were searching for him well before you found out anything about his past."

"Of course we were, but he doesn't understand. All he knows is that when he left yesterday, we were his landlords and employers. He doesn't understand any of this. I've never told him he was a part of our family, have you?"

"It goes without saying." Tessa replied stubbornly.

"To you and me, yes. But not to him." The Immortal returned.

Tessa didn't believe it for a second. "He knows very well that we care about him."

"If he knew that, he never would have left in the first place." Duncan replied quietly.

Tessa stared at him for a moment. "We still don't know why he left, do we?"

"No, we don't." Duncan nodded in agreement.

There was no anger in the woman's next question. "We need to find that out, don't we?"

"It might help us figure out how to show him that he belongs here." Duncan replied.

But that was not where Tessa's thought process was headed. "Oh, he will understand that his place is here. That is not the issue. I simply want to know what he was thinking."

"Tessa, it's important we try to understand him." Duncan returned, afraid that they were still on different pages.

Tessa's response provided no insight, however. "Of course we need to understand him. And he needs to understand us."

"So we agree that we need to talk things out with him? Calmly." Duncan questioned.

"We were never in disagreement about that, Duncan." She replied, impatiently. "We need to figure out what is going through his head and correct it."

"By showing him that he can trust us? By letting him know how important he is to us and that we only want to do what's best for him?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

"Of course." Tessa waved off the questioning impatiently.

Which hardly eased Duncan's anxiety. "Good."

"Are you satisfied now?" Tessa questioned. "Richie is waiting for us."

"Right." Duncan replied quietly, as he followed the determined woman back towards the living room.

* * *

Entering the living room, Duncan was almost amused. Richie had literally not moved from his spot since Tessa had ordered him to stay put. It would have been funny, had Duncan not gotten a good looked at the teen's face. Obviously, the position was not that comfortable, especially for someone who was undoubtedly sore from a marathon event the day before. Plus, he appeared downright afraid. Tessa's wrath was not something the teen had been the target of before.

As Tessa went to stand in front of the expectant boy, Duncan found himself leading her into the armchair. As he calmly took a seat on the couch next to the teen, he was well aware of the look she was giving him. It was more than apparent that the woman thought he was taking sides against her. He didn't care though. He needed to make it clear that there was only one side here. Richie's side. Even if they had different opinions about what that meant, they all wanted the same things. Or at least he fervently hoped they did.

Tessa immediately began the interrogation. "I just want you to tell me one thing, Richie. One thing." Her tone was more controlled, Duncan noted. And, looking on the positive side of things, one question was better than the barrage she had been throwing earlier. "What, in God's name, were you thinking when you ran off?"

"I didn't run off." Duncan cringed even as the words came out of Richie's mouth. That argument was definitely not going to go far with Tessa.

"No?" Tessa's tone was not one of amusement. "What would you call it, then?"

"I left a note." Richie said in a desperate attempt to defend himself. "I just decided it was time for me to move on."

"Move on?" Tessa rose at that. "Move on? And just where did you think you were going to 'move on' to, young man? The end of a bridge?"

"Of course not." Richie replied, annoyed.

"No?" Tessa continued. "That's funny, because that is exactly where you were found. Do you mean to tell me you just ended up there by chance?"

"That's not what I said." Richie retorted.

"You either meant to go there or you didn't. Which is it, Richie?" The woman pressed.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Duncan finally interjected, having witnessed quite enough of Tessa's style of handling the situation. "Tessa, sit down."

Opening her mouth in protest, the woman immediately changed her mind and sat down quickly. With a wave of her hand, she crossed her legs and faced slightly away from the couch. "Fine, you talk to him."

"We _all_ need to talk this out." Duncan returned in frustration. The woman's rigid posture made it clear to him that she was not happy with his input. However, he had no intention of backing down.

"Why do you want to move on, Rich?" Duncan asked in his most non-confrontational tone. "Are you unhappy here? Have we done something to upset you?"

"No. You guys are great. Its just time for me to move on." Richie replied, looking down at his hands.

Putting a hand on the teen's shoulder, Duncan attempted to catch his eye. "Why? If you're happy here, why would you want to leave? Did you think we didn't want you around?"

Richie shrugged at that question. "I just figured my time here was up."

"Because of what happened with Jack?" Duncan continued to probe.

"You were right, that's all." Richie replied.

"Right?" Duncan asked, completely confused as to what Richie was talking about.

"Yeah, about me being my own person." Richie replied.

"Rich, I'm trying hard but I'm not following you." The Immortal urged him on.

"You said I was lucky that I don't have a family because I get to decide what happens to me." Richie explained.

"I would never." Duncan stopped mid-sentence as he realized what Richie was referring to. "Richie, that isn't what I meant. I meant you are lucky because you don't have to be defined by your past. So you don't know who your biological parents are. So what? That just means you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else. Everything about you is original Richie, no imitations."

When Richie turned hopeful eyes on him, Duncan felt compelled to continue.

"I did not mean that you are on your own. Just because the people who made you aren't around doesn't mean you don't deserve a family."

"I don't need help from anyone." Richie replied defiantly.

As Tessa scoffed, Duncan tried to reason with the teen. "Of course you do. Rich, it's okay to depend on other people. I'm sorry if I made you think I wanted you to leave. I never meant that. Tessa and I want to be here for you, but you have to meet us halfway. What's going on with you? Why would you leave like that? Please, Richie, just tell us what you need. Give us a clue."

"Nothing." Richie replied flatly. "Nothing is going on. I don't need anything from anyone."

As the teen hurried off the couch and down the hall to his room, Duncan turned helpless eyes on Tessa. Things were definitely not going well.


	9. Hard Promises

Staring down the hall at Richie's closed bedroom door, both Duncan and Tessa were momentarily lost for words. Unfortunately for the Immortal, Tessa was the first to regain her composure. "Well, that went well. Thank you for getting things under control, Duncan."

"Tessa." Duncan began.

"No." The Frenchwoman interrupted. "You insist that you know the best way to handle him; you handle him."

"What exactly are you saying, Tess?" The Immortal replied.

Tessa was immediately prepared with an answer. "Since you seem to believe that you know what he needs, you need to get things straightened out with him. Now."

"You don't want to talk to him together?" Duncan questioned, in complete disbelief.

Turning from the hallway and looking at the man, she addressed him in her most serious tone. "Are we still on the same page about what we want to happen?"

"Of course." The Immortal replied quickly. Despite the challenges they'd had during their discussions with Richie, the Immortal was positive that they had the same goals. After all, they had spent the night before discussing their plans regarding the teen.

"Good." The woman replied with a short, definitive nod. Turning back to the hallway, she beckoned Duncan forward with a sweeping wave of the hand. "He's all yours."

Hesitantly, Duncan headed down the hallway. Even as he walked, he realized that he had no idea how he was going to get through to the

* * *

When his third knock went unanswered, Duncan simply eased the door open. He was not entirely surprised to see that Richie was simply sitting on the bed, staring in the direction of the wall.

"Hey, Rich." Slipping into the room, Duncan was shocked by what he saw.

The teen returned his greeting with a slight nod of acknowledgement and only one word. "Mac."

"Little early for spring cleaning, isn't it?" Duncan questioned.

Richie shrugged and, to the Immortal's surprise, actually turned to face him as he replied. "I left, remember?"

"Vividly." The Immortal replied as he pulled the now-visible desk chair out and straddled it.

After a few moments of tense silence, Duncan made an awkward attempt at jumpstarting the conversation. "Speaking of which."

When the comment was left hanging, he continued. "Care to explain why you left?"

"I already told you." Richie replied in a tone that came dangerously close to pouting. "It was time for me to move on."

Desperate, Duncan decided to switch tactics. "So that's all I deserve, huh?"

"What?" The teen looked up at him, genuine confusion on his face.

"Well, obviously you don't think that highly of me if all I've earned from you is a short note and vague, cryptic responses like 'the time had come'." The Scotsman replied.

"You know I respect you." Richie replied, not buying the idea that Duncan was hurt for a moment.

"Funny way of showing it." The Immortal replied shortly.

As Richie looked over at the man, it suddenly dawned on him that Duncan was truly upset he had left. For a brief moment, he let his guard down. "I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't know what else to do. It was too hard."

"What was too hard?" Duncan questioned gently, seeing an opening in the teen's defenses.

Unfortunately, Richie was quick to recover his guard. An uninviting shrug was the only response he received. Duncan, though, was not willing to let the subject drop. Desperate to get the boy to let down his defenses, he decided to try a tactic that he had no doubt would make the teen uncomfortable. Standing up from the desk chair, he crossed the space between himself and Richie and sat down next to him on the bed. Slipping an arm across the teen's shoulder, he squeezed Richie tightly to his side, despite feeling the boy immediately going rigid.

"It's alright." He said softly, continuing to keep a tight grip on the teen. "Please, tell me. What was too hard?"

When Richie remained silent, Duncan found himself pressing further. "What was too hard, Richie? I promise it'll be okay." Even as the words flew out of his mouth, Duncan feared that he would not be able to live up to them.

"How can you say that?" The teen asked.

For a second, he almost took it back. He was a breath away from admitting to the teen that he couldn't promise that everything would be all right. Life was hard. They both knew it. Things happened that were completely unexpected. He couldn't always keep those he loved safe, no matter how much he wanted to or how hard he tried. Who was he to promise that everything would be okay? Looking the teen in the eye, ready to take it back, Duncan realized what he was promising. He wasn't promising that life would be perfect. That wasn't what Richie needed to make things better. He needed someone to listen and care and try to help. _That_ he could promise.

He calmly reassured the boy. "We'll work it out, Richie. Whatever it is that drove you away, we'll face it together."

As Richie looked down at his hands, Duncan placed his hand on the back of the boy's neck. "What was it, Richie? What was so hard that you had to leave?"

"Seeing." Richie finally replied, studying his knuckles as he spoke.

Despite the lack of insight the Immortal drew from the response, it gave him hope. Richie was defiantly coming around, even if getting information from him was a trying task. Duncan continued to gently press him. "Seeing what? Hum?"

"You and Tessa. What you guys have together." Richie replied quietly.

Duncan was completely thrown. Of all the responses that might have come out of Richie's mouth, that was probably the one he had least expected. "Rich, you'll have that to." He replied quickly. "You're still young, give it some time."

"No." Richie interrupted Duncan's pep talk, shaking his head in frustration. "I don't mean that."

"Then what?" Duncan asked, now more confused than ever.


	10. An Honest Conversation

"It doesn't matter." Richie finally replied.

But Duncan was not going to give up when he was this close. Urgently, he pressed the teen. "It matters to me. What do Tessa and I have that makes it hard for you to be with us, Rich? If you'll just tell me what it is, we can work it out."

"You're a family." Richie replied so quietly that Duncan wasn't entirely sure he heard him correctly.

The Immortal repeated what, he hoped, was merely a deception his ears were playing on him. "A family?"

"I know it's stupid." Richie said sullenly.

Duncan wasn't quite sure how to respond. "No, it's just."

"I know I'm an ingrate." Richie interrupted, the words now flying out of his mouth. "I should be glad I have a good place to stay. I know that. It just got too hard. You and Tessa have so much history. You care about each other so much and you're comfortable together. Even her parents and her friends; I mean, you know them. Everyone knows that you two belong together. You fit. I couldn't handle not fitting anywhere anymore. It was just too painful."

"So you left because you don't think you belong with us?" Duncan asked in disbelief.

He received a slight shrug in reply. "You guys have a good thing going here."

"Tessa was right." Duncan replied flatly. "You do need to learn your place."

"My place?" Richie's heart leaped into his throat. He hadn't anticipated Duncan 'putting him in his place' so to speak. Even as he braced himself for the inevitable beating, he wanted to kick himself for Duncan. How could he have been so stupid as to think that the Immortal wouldn't strike him? Where was his head? He always prided himself on being good at anticipating danger. How could he have not expected it after all the trouble he had caused? He had upset the man, probably lost him two days business, angered the girlfriend and now he was whining. Of course he was going to be beaten.

Duncan felt his heart drop further as he watched the teen brace himself. Pushing past his own feelings, he allowed the boy to completely pull away, recoil and shut his eyes before reaching out for him. Then, with one swift motion, Duncan gave the child what he needed; what he deserved.

It took Richie a few seconds before he was able to process what had happened. Opening his eyes slowly, he was more than a little surprised to find himself none the worse for wear. Instead of smacking him across the room, Duncan had pulled him into his lap and had both arms wrapped tightly around him.

After a few more seconds had past, Richie finally decided to address the situation. "Um, Mac?"

"Yeah, partner?" Duncan replied softly, his voice muffled by the side of the teen's head.

Richie continued hesitantly. "What are you doing?"

"Holding you." Duncan replied simply, stating the obvious.

Had he not been so confused by the situation, Richie probably would have rolled his eyes at that response. Instead, he simply continued to question the Immortal. "I've noticed." He said quietly. "Why, though?"

"I told you, Rich." Duncan replied, shifting his grip slightly as he felt the teen begin to pull away. "You need shown your place. This" He said, giving the teen a brief squeeze to emphasize his point. "is your place."

"My place is in your lap?" Richie replied, at a loss for any cute comebacks.

"Yes." The Immortal replied. For a few moments, he contemplated leaving it at that. He realized that was not a good idea, though. He needed to be very specific with Richie. Misunderstandings came easy with this particular boy and he was determined to make this area crystal clear for him.

"You belong here, Richie; in this house; as a part of Tessa and my family; even in my lap. I am so sorry that we haven't talked about this before now. In our defense, I think Tessa and I had just gotten so comfortable with our feelings for you that we thought they went without saying."

"Your feelings for me?" Richie replied, completely overwhelmed by the idea.

Duncan was absolutely determined to clear things up with Richie, even if it meant overloading the boy's emotional capacity. "Richie, you belong here with us. You've become a part of us. Why do you think I came looking for you; because I couldn't find a part-time store assistant? Do you really think we're that desperate to have a tenant living in your room?"

Richie was slow in his response. "No."

"Of course not." Duncan continued. "I came to get you because we WANT you here. Neither Tessa nor I could ever imagine you not being with us. You are a part of us whether you want to be or not."

"Yeah?" Once again, Richie's response was so quiet, Duncan wasn't entirely sure he had heard him.

"Yes, Richie." The Immortal replied emphatically. "You're stuck with us. Deciding you want to take off, no strings attached, is not an option. You decide you want to move out, that's too bad. Until you turn 21, you are just plain stuck."

"21?" Richie repeated.

Duncan shifted the boy slightly, so he could look him in the eye. "When you turn 21, if you decide you want to move out, we'll talk about it. Until then, you're stuck here with us, kid."

"You want to commit to keeping me here that long?" Richie replied in disbelief.

Duncan made sure to have the teen's eye before replying. "I do, Rich."

"That's three years, Mac." The boy replied.

"We need to work on your math skills." The Scotsman said with a smile.

"Huh?" Richie had not expected that reply.

Duncan looked at him seriously. "15 from 21 is six, Rich. Not three."

"15?" Richie replied flatly.

Duncan wasn't fooled, though. "You thought we'd make you leave if we found out?"

Richie blushed at the question. "When you asked when I was turning 18, I just panicked. I didn't want thrown out."

"So you figured you'd just let me go on believing you were 18?" Duncan questioned.

The teen looked away from him at that. "I didn't figure it'd hurt anything."

"You figured you could take care of yourself." Duncan filled in the thought for him. "You didn't need any help from anyone, just a place to stay."

"How'd you find out?" Richie questioned, avoiding addressing the comments the Immortal was making.

"Do you think I just happened upon the bridge?" Duncan answered the teen's question with a question of his own.

The response caused Richie to pause for a moment. Briefly, he met the man's eye again. "I guess I hadn't thought about it." He finally admitted.

"Well, I didn't." Duncan told him matter of factly. "Hunting you down took some investigation."

"Oh." Richie replied quietly, not really wanting to know what all the Immortal had found out about him. Past experience had taught him that the less someone knew about him, the better off he was.

"So, who'd you talk to?" Richie wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer to the question he was posing.

"Well, first there was Powell." Duncan paused long enough to return the eye roll Richie gave him at the mention of the police officer's name.

"Then there was a lady from social services." Feeling the added tension the agency's mention brought, Duncan gave Richie what he hoped was a reassuring pat on the back.

"Then there was your old coach." Duncan continued.

Richie replied quickly, "Good guy."

Duncan, however, refrained from commenting on the man. Instead, he moved on to the person he was most anxious to discuss with the teen. "And Jason."

"He told you about the bridge, I guess." Riche said.

"Among other things." Duncan replied, hoping the vague response would lead to a discussion about the man.

Unfortunately, Richie didn't take the bait. "Oh." The teen quickly changed the subject. "So what does Tessa think about me being 15?"

"She feels guilty." Duncan replied. "We both do." The man decided to take his cue from Richie and allow the subject of Jason to be dropped; temporarily, at least.

"Guilty?" Richie replied, genuinely confused.

"That we overlooked it." Duncan explained. "I think we both had a hard time believing that you were 18, but neither of us took the time to really look into it. All this time, we haven't been treating you right."

"You've treated me great." Richie reassured him quickly.

"Thanks, partner." Duncan said with a smile. "I'm glad to hear it. That's not exactly what I meant, though. I mean we've been treating you like you're 18 and that isn't fair to you."

"What's the difference?" Richie questioned.

"Well, for one, I'd have spent a lot more time helping you with your homework than having you help me in the store." Duncan said brusquely. "And I never would have let you spend so much time alone with Jack."

"Why?" Richie asked, truly surprised by that comment.

"Because he's a con artist, Rich." Duncan said quietly. "When I thought you were 18, I didn't feel I had the right to stop you from seeing him. If I had known earlier that you were 15, I would have gone a lot further to protect you from him."

"But you came and got me when there was trouble." Richie replied. "Heck, you even broke into his place to check him out. What else could you have done?"

"I would have insisted on coming with you when you searched for him and when you first met him." Duncan explained. "And I would have tagged along if you had still wanted to visit with him; made it clear to him that you're mine."

"Yours?" Richie questioned; the emotion evident in his voice.

Duncan shifted his hand to the back of the teen's head and pulled the boy even closer before replying simply. "Mine."

The Immortal was slightly surprised when he felt the boy lean into his embrace for the first time since he had pulled the child into his lap. As Richie rested his head against his chest, he couldn't help but smile. Sure, there were still a lot of things they needed to sort out. A lot he needed to make clear to the teen. But as they sat quietly, Duncan was more than willing to allow the boy to simply revel in the idea of belonging to him.

Minutes passed before Richie broke the comfortable silence that hung between them. "So what do you think Tessa is doing?"

"Waiting for us." Duncan replied. "You want to go talk to her?"

"I guess." Richie replied hesitantly, slowing climbing out of the safety of Duncan's lap.

Before he was even halfway up, Duncan pulled him back down. "How are you feeling; pretty sore?"

"I'm all right." Richie replied quickly.

"Richie." Duncan shot back in a warning tone.

The teen smiled slightly. "Damn sore."

"Watch you're mouth." Duncan replied with a fierce frown before shifting Richie off of his lap.

After providing the boy with some aspirin and water, he reluctantly followed him out into the living room, no longer able to delay the inevitable confrontation with Tessa. It was not something he was looking forward to.


	11. Starting Fresh

As he got his first glimpse of Tessa, sitting with her legs crossed on the loveseat, Duncan was far from reassured that the conversation would go well. As Richie slowly led the way into the room, Duncan did his best to read Tessa. Her reactions had, thus far, gone completely against what he had expected and he was desperate to regain some insight about what to expect from her.

As Tessa stood at their entrance, Richie was the first to break the silence that filled the room. Even Duncan was surprised by how timidly the boy addressed her. "Hey, Tessa."

"Richie." Duncan flinched at the tone; obviously Tessa had not gotten over her anger.

Wanting to keep things as calm as possible, Duncan quickly interjected. "How about we all sit down?"

With a slight nod, Tessa abruptly resettled herself on the loveseat and looked up expectantly at Duncan and Richie. Both men looked around, as if at a loss to find suitable places to sit. After Duncan finally settled on the couch, Richie quickly followed his lead. Despite the anger the Immortal expected would be invoked from Tessa by their sitting on the same piece of furniture, Duncan couldn't help but feel a jolt of pride surge through him that Richie chose to stay beside him. It was a small but important step in the process of getting the teen to rely upon him.

Finally, Tessa broke the heavy silence between them. Looking directly at Richie as she spoke, she used a tone Duncan didn't quite recognize. "Did you and Duncan get things straightened out?"

When Richie nodded in silent agreement, Tessa was far from satisfied. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, ma'am." Richie replied; the fear Duncan had heard earlier still lingering in his tone.

"And what, exactly, did you two get cleared up?" She pressed.

Momentarily confused by the question, Richie stole a brief glance at Duncan before returning his attention to the angry Frenchwoman. "That you guys want me to stay?" He questioned hesitantly, hoping fervently that he was providing the answer that Tessa wanted to hear.

"It is not up for debate, Richie." Tessa replied matter-of-factly. "The little stunt you just pulled made it quite clear that you think you are in complete control of your comings and goings."

When Tessa stopped talking and continued to stare at him, Richie realized she expected some sort of reply from him. Unfortunately, he had no idea what type of response she was looking for. "Okay."

"That is far from 'okay', young man. You are nowhere near ready to take responsibility for yourself. The outrageous stunt you just pulled has made that more than clear. From now on, you will do as Duncan and I say." Tessa said in a more clipped tone than Duncan could ever have imagined coming from the mouth of such an angelic looking woman.

When Richie nodded solemnly in reply, Tessa plunged forward. "That means that you will not, under any circumstances, take off on your own. Unless you are with one of us, you are not to go out without our permission. Understood?"

"Yes." Richie replied earnestly.

"And you will be honest about where you are, what you are doing and who you are with." Tessa continued.

"I promise." Richie said seriously.

"All right, then." Standing as abruptly as she had initially taken her seat, Tessa crossed the room with purpose. "Go get the table set while I work on lunch."

When the teen turned his eyes to the Immortal once more, Duncan gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile before standing and offering a hand to the boy. As they all neared the kitchen to prepare for their midday meal, Duncan couldn't help but wonder where the day would lead.

* * *

"So how's the sculpture going?" Duncan questioned Tessa, desperately trying to engage the woman in a conversation. The silence that accompanied their lunch had become deafening and the Immortal was not sure how much longer he could take it.

But neither Tessa nor Richie seemed to share his desire to engage in small talk. Looking up briefly from her soup, Tessa gave him a deadly glare. "All right. I just hope I can be done by Wednesday."

Duncan noticed the way Richie flinched at the response. There was no need to remind him that he was the cause for Tessa's being behind in her work. The teen was more than aware that he had caused the couple to lose nearly a day and a half of business.

"Richie, stop playing with your food and eat it." Tessa said briskly.

Things were definitely not heading in a direction Duncan liked.

"Really, I can handle it myself." Richie argued with the Immortal as they cleared the lunch table.

"Are you sure?" The man questioned hesitantly.

Richie threw him an odd look. "Mac, it isn't like I've never watched the store before. Besides, Tessa will just be in the back."

"You look kind of tired though, partner. You had a long day yesterday. Are you sure you're up for it?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

"It's just a couple of hours, Mac. Besides, it's not like I don't owe it to you." Richie replied.

Duncan frowned at that. If he weren't determined to get the paperwork started, he would have insisted on staying behind to run the store himself. He just didn't want to wait any longer and risk social services stepping in before he got Richie's records changed. "You don't owe us anything." He said firmly.

"Right." The teen replied quietly.

Duncan really didn't like that response. "Right." He shot back. "I'll be back in a few hours, okay? Just take it easy. If you get tired out, close up shop early, all right?"

"Got it." The teen said with a smile. "Have fun with your shipments."

* * *

"Richie?"

The teen looked up as Tessa called for him. "Yeah?"

"Time to close up." She told him, only sticking her head halfway out of her studio.

Relieved she wasn't coming out; Richie smiled up at her. "Sure, Tess."

"Duncan just called, he's going to be late and I'm on a roll in here. I don't want to loss my momentum. Why don't you just go ahead and order a pizza for yourself? Duncan and I'll eat later." She called.

"No problem." He replied.

Tessa made one last comment before closing the studio door. "Money's in my purse in the living room."

Richie sighed in relief as the woman departed. Sore, exhausted and totally overwhelming by the heat he perceived to be consuming the store, he was extremely grateful not to have to face either Duncan or Tessa. Hiding his discomfort was not something he wanted to have to attempt. Now all he had to do was close up shop and make his way to his room. He had no doubt that all he needed was a good night's sleep to be good as new. He was determined that be the case. After all the trouble he had caused the couple, there was no way he wanted to add having to deal with a sick employee to top it all off.

* * *

As he entered the shop, Duncan was surprised to hear the sound of the blowtorch coming from Tessa's studio. After all, it was after 9 p.m.

Sticking his head in the room, he immediately drew Tessa's attention. Smiling, she shut off the flame and drew off her fire retarding gear. "Mac." She said with a smile, going over to give him a kiss. "Are you just getting in?"

"Yeah. What put you in such a good mood?" He couldn't help but asking.

She smiled warmly up at him. "I've really gotten on a roll with this. It's turning out wonderfully."

"Great. Think you'll have it done on time?" He asked politely.

With a nod, she continued. "Tomorrow, possibly. Oh, my. I was so consumed. How did it go?" She questioned, now remembering where the extra emotional energy she had used on the project came from.

"It took a lot of finagling, but within 24 hours, Richie will be officially mine." Duncan said with a wide grin.

Tessa readily returned it. "How on earth did you manage it so quickly?"

"I do have a bit of experience working the system, you know." Duncan replied, not really caring to reveal all the techniques he had used to ensure such fast results. He wasn't entirely sure he cared for Tessa to know all of his talents.

Tessa smiled. "Don't you think we should go tell him?" She questioned, her project now completely forgotten.

"I think it might help to ease some of the tension, don't you?" He returned.

Tessa frowned at that. "Perhaps I was a bit harsh. Richie knows how I feel about him, though. I'm sure he isn't too upset. Besides," she quickly defended, "someone needs to lay down the law with him. Lord knows it won't be you."

Duncan suppressed a sigh. Things were going too well to worry over the details. "Let's just go tell him, hum? I'm sure he's had plenty of time alone to fret over what we're thinking of him."

"I do wish we had spent more time with him today." Tessa agreed.

"So do I." Duncan nodded; then smiled broadly. "We've got all the time in the world to make it up to him now, though."

* * *

Duncan frowned slightly at the sight of the sleeping teen. It was awful early for him to have gone to bed; especially voluntarily.

"It isn't like Richie to fall asleep so early." Tessa said softly, voicing Duncan's own thoughts.

He didn't want to be too overprotective, though. "It's been a stressful couple of days for him."

"True." Tessa nodded. "Should we wake him?"

"I suppose I can wait until tomorrow." Duncan replied slowly, not really wanting to have to keep the news from the teen any longer. He had to admit, though, the teen did look pretty peaceful in his sleep. There really wasn't any reason to disturb it.

"I guess so." Tessa replied, her thoughts mirroring that of the Immortals. Carefully adjusting the covers over the teen, she followed the man out the door.

* * *

By 8:30, Duncan could no longer handle waiting for the teen to wake on his own. The night had been restless; as both he and Tessa were anxious to tell Richie about the 'errands' Duncan had run the day before. Both rose early and had been pacing about listlessly as they waited for the teen to wake.

"I'm waking him up." The Immortal finally announced.

As Tessa nodded in agreement, Duncan went into the boy's room. When Richie didn't wake upon Duncan's opening the door, he called his name. When that, too, brought no recognition, Duncan crossed the space to Richie's bed and leaned over to shake the boy. It was then that he noticed the beads of sweat forming on the teen's face and forehead. Worried, he put his hand to the boy's cheek.

"Tessa!" The Immortal called urgently.

As the woman came to the door, her concern over Duncan's tone was evident. "What's wrong, Duncan?"

"Go get the car." The man replied, his voice steely. "He's burning up."


	12. A Hospital Bed

As Tessa hurried out of the room, Duncan leaned over the bed and started to pull the teen out of it. Richie, however, had other ideas. Waking at the motion, he instinctively backed himself against the headboard and away from Duncan.

"What?" Blinded by the light in the room and disoriented from fever, Richie turned unfocused eyes on Duncan.

As if trying to calm a wounded animal, Duncan moved slowly to sit down next to the teen. "It's all right, Richie."

"What's going on?" Richie, slightly more focused, was slowly beginning to process where he was. "Did I oversleep? Is it my turn to open the store?" Frantically, he began to climb out of the bed.

"No. Stay put, partner." Quickly, Duncan put a gentle hand on the teen to restrain him. "You're pretty hot. Do you hurt anywhere?"

"No, no." Richie replied quickly, starting to shake his head but quickly realizing it was a bad idea. "I'm okay, just give me a minute and I'll be out."

"Richie." Duncan didn't even know where to begin. The teen was drenched in his own sweat, bright red and his coordination was obviously gone. Why on earth he thought he could pass for healthy was beyond the Immortal. "Rich, you're burning up."

"I'm just hot from the covers." Richie replied, after a delay the teen didn't even notice, but which was more than apparent to Duncan. "I'll be right there."

"Richie, you aren't working today." Duncan replied and then admonished himself for even carrying on the conversation.

Richie, however, seemed greatly relieved by his statement. "Oh. I'm going to sleep then. Night, Mac."

"Okay." Duncan mumbled under his breath as he watched the teen lean back in bed and curl up in a position that the Immortal couldn't possible believe was comfortable. Momentarily convinced Richie was asleep, Duncan once again leaned over to carry him out to the car.

Unfortunately, Richie was not yet totally unaware of his surroundings. Sitting up abruptly, the teen came within inches of ramming his head into Duncan's chin. Only the Immortal's quick reflexes stopped the collision. "What's going on?"

"It's okay." Duncan told him, calmly. Obviously, Richie was not in the right frame of mind to simply allow the man to carry him without question. Desperately, he attempted to reason with the semi-delirious teen. "We're going out, Richie. Time to get to the car."

"I gotta get dressed." Richie replied groggily, once again attempted to stand.

And, yet again, Duncan restrained him. "No, it's okay. Just let me carry you."

"Why?" Richie replied, staring up at him.

Duncan frantically racked his brain for a reason that Richie accept in his current state. "Tessa's waiting outside for us. We can't be late."

"Oh, okay." Richie said contently.

If only the teen were this cooperative on a daily basis, Duncan thought as Richie allowed himself to be scooped up. However, partway to the door, the teen became aggravated. "Mac?"

"Yeah, partner?" The man replied quickly, struggling to keep a good grip on the now squirming teen.

"Where are we going?" Richie questioned.

Duncan thought about it for a moment before replying. He wasn't entirely sure that telling Richie the truth was a good idea. He had no idea how the teen would react. "The candy store."

"Good." Richie replied, once again relaxing in Duncan's grip.

Moving through the store and to Tessa's waiting car, Duncan was relieved not to be questioned further. Temporarily relieved, that is. "Mac?"

"Yeah, Rich?"

"Can I have a Kit Kat?"

Duncan smiled slightly as he settled the teen into the back seat. "You can have as many as you want, Richie. As many as you want."

* * *

Pacing nervously across the length of the waiting room, Duncan was struggling to maintain his composure. "What on earth is taking so long?"

"He's fine, Duncan." Tessa replied shortly, as she sat rigidly in a chair, tapping her fingers as she, too, anxiously awaited the entrance of someone, anyone, to tell them what was happening with Richie.

Duncan, whose intention had been to stay at the teen's side, was not handling being left in the waiting area well. That was evident to any casual observer. Even the overworked ER doctor could see how anxious the man was. "Mr. MacLeod?"

As both Duncan and Tessa swarmed upon him, the physician knew his first order of business: calming the fears of the overprotective parents. "Richie's fine."

After allowing the pair a few moments to digest the news, the doctor continued. "He did have a pretty high fever and was a bit more disoriented than I would have liked, but we've got everything under control."

"Where is he now?" Tessa questioned.

The doctor smiled before replying. "He's still in an exam room, ma'am. We have his fever down pretty low but we're trying to get some fluids into him. He was actually quite dehydrated."

Duncan could have kicked himself upon hearing that. Of course Richie was dehydrated. After hiking across state, he certainly had lost a lot of water and neither he nor Tessa had even thought about pressing him to drink the day before. No wonder he was so quick to crumble. Focusing back on the situation at hand, Duncan pressed the doctor for more details. "What's his fever at?"

"Hovering somewhere between 100 and 101. Not bad, really. Just be sure to check it often and cool him down with wet clothes if it starts going up." The man replied.

"Can we take him home?" Duncan asked anxiously, taking the instructions to be a good sign.

Fortunately, that was exactly what the doctor was intending. "Once we've got some fluids in him and make sure his temperature is stable, I don't see why not. If I give you a prescription for an antibiotic, how soon do you think you can get it filled?"

"I'll go right now." Tessa replied quickly, wanting any job that might help ease Richie's suffering in any small way.

"Thanks, Tess. Could you bring some clothes for him too?" Duncan asked, relieved that he wouldn't have to leave the teen.

"Of course; I'll be back in an hour." She replied resolutely.

Her response received a satisfactory nod from the doctor. "Good. Just be sure he takes this." He scribbled frantically on a pad and then passed it over to Tessa. "Gets plenty of fluids and rest and be sure you keep a close eye on his temperature."

"Of course." Duncan nodded, readily agreeing with all the man's instructions.

But the doctor's reply surprised him slightly. "Don't get too confident."

"Pardon?" Duncan replied.

The doctor smiled at him. "Richie wasn't exactly thrilled about our nurses trying to bring his fever down."

"I can only image." Duncan said, now returning the smile as he got a clear picture of how Richie would react to that care.

The doctor broke into a wide grin at that. "Well, I'd like to keep him another couple of hours, just to make sure he's on the right track."

"Of course." Duncan replied, readily agreeing with the cautious care. "Could I sit with him?"

The doctor turned at that. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

After a brief kiss and promise to return quickly, Tessa headed out as Duncan followed the physician down the hallway.

* * *

Duncan couldn't help but smile as he stepped behind the partitioned area. The sight of Richie, resting peacefully, was quite welcome. Silently lifting a chair into the small area, Duncan settled down next to the teen, content to wait for the boy to wake on his own.

Unfortunately, that contentment was not universal. A nurse abruptly drew back the curtain and began fiddling with the needle coming from Richie's hand. Slowly, Richie peeled his eyes open to look up and see who was disturbing his dreams. "Come to steal more of my blood?" He questioned softly.

"Just checking your IV." She replied shortly. "You've taken most of it in." She replied; referring to the hydrating liquid attached to the other end of the needle. "I'll be back soon to take this out."

"Thank God." Richie retorted.

Smiling slightly, the woman left as abruptly as she had barged in. Only after the sound of her retreating footsteps subsided did Richie notice the Immortal to his right. "Mac?"

"Hey, there." Duncan replied, leaning over to put a hand on the teen's forehead. "How're you feeling?"

"Peachy." Richie replied, sarcasm evident in his voice. Duncan smiled slightly; glad the teen was well enough to be sarcastic. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Duncan retorted. "I'm here with you."

"Social services not shown up yet?" Richie replied, turning away from Duncan as he spoke.

Duncan looked down at him, far from pleased to see how far Richie was emotionally withdrawing as he spoke. "Social services isn't coming, Rich."

"Of course they are." The boy replied tonelessly. "The hospital had to call them."

"Why would the hospital call?" Duncan questioned patiently.

Richie looked over at him. "I'm a ward of the state, Mac. My records scream it. They have to call."

"You're not a ward of the state, Richie." Duncan told him matter-of-factly, holding his gaze and giving away as little emotion as possible as he spoke. When Richie just blinked up at him, the Immortal leaned over to grab a glass of water off the side table and lifted the teen's head, confusing Richie all the more.

"I'm not thirsty, Mac." Richie replied finally, beginning to pull his head out of the Immortal's hand.

Duncan would have no argument, though. "Drink, Richie. You're dehydrated."

"Mac, I'm…"

"Just a sip, Richie." Duncan calmly interrupted.

When the teen appeased him, Duncan eased the boy's head back down, redeposited the glass on the tabletop and grabbed a Kleenex. He suppressed a smile at the shocked expression he received from the teen as he wiped the boy's mouth off. Richie was responding exactly how Duncan had hoped he would to the pampering; with awe and confusion.

Unfortunately, however, it didn't deflect the teen's original confusion. "I am a ward of the state, Mac. You know that."

"Richie." Duncan paused momentarily before continuing. He had hoped to sidetrack the conversation until Tessa arrived and was disappointed to see that wasn't going to be possible. His desire to ease the teen's concerns quickly won out over his plans to include the woman in welcoming Richie into their family, however. Debating how to phrase the news to make it as non-traumatic as he possibly could, the Immortal finally gave up and went with the direct approach. "You've been adopted."

"Say what?" Despite how physically exhausted he was, Richie was now fully alert.

Duncan looked down at him, making it clear that he was quite serious, before he continued. "You aren't a ward of the state anymore, Richie. You've been adopted."

"By who?" Richie finally managed to question.

"The Catholic Church." Duncan replied flatly before leaning in to ruffle the teen's hair. "By who?' By me, who do you think?"

"What?" Richie replied, thoroughly confused. "How? Since when?"

"I took care of it yesterday while you were busy hiding being sick." Duncan replied, adding a slight scold in where it seemed appropriate.

Richie's response was hardly what he had expected. "Why would you do that?"

"Do what?" Duncan asked, somewhat confused.

But that confusion was nothing compared to Richie's. "Adopt me. That's legal, Mac."

"So?" Duncan replied.

The teen stared at him, still in a state of disbelief. "So you barely know me. Adoption isn't something you can just take back."

"Richie." Duncan suddenly felt as tired as the teen looked. "I'm not going to want to take it back."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." The teen said quietly, looking down at the IV in his hand.

The Immortal felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Standing up, Duncan crossed the few feet between his chair and the bed and sat down beside the teen. He put a hand to the boy's head and then moved it around his face and neck, a puzzled look on his face.

Finally, curiosity got the better of the teen. "Mac, what are you doing?"

"You're fever doesn't seem to have spiked." The Immortal replied.

The response earned him an odd look from the boy. "I'm okay."

"You're delirious." Duncan replied.

Richie started up at him, now more confused than ever. "No, I'm not. Really, I'm okay, Mac."

"Well, you're not making any sense." Duncan replied flatly, removing his hand from the teen's face.

Richie finally understood the reference. "I didn't mean to offend you, Mac. It's just."

"No, Richie. There are no 'buts' here. I told you before, you're stuck with me whether you like it or not. I'm not going anywhere." Duncan replied firmly.

But Richie wasn't totally convinced. "You say that now, but things change, Mac."

"Richie, I've lived long enough to know that things changed. I've also lived long enough to know what I want and what promises I can and can't keep. I promise you, you're stuck with me, no matter what." Duncan replied.

"Where's Tessa?" Richie asked.

The attempt to change the subject did not go unnoticed by Duncan. Briefly, though, he would allow the topic switch. "Getting your prescription and picking up a change of clothes for you."

"She's coming here?" Richie asked, attempting to keep his tone casual.

Duncan was, again, not fooled. "Of course she is. Tessa is worried sick about you, Richie. The only reason she left to begin with is because she wants to get you home as soon as possible. We can't have you getting sick from wearing your old, sweat soaked pajamas or because you don't have your medication."

Richie nodded at that. "When do I get to leave?"

"Me?" Duncan replied seriously. "Never. I told you that."

The teen rolled his eyes. "The hospital."

"As soon as the doctor and I both think it's a good idea." Duncan replied.

Richie did not like the avoidance. "Which would be when?"

"Well, he and I are currently in disagreement about that." Duncan returned.

That response was not what the teen had anticipated. "What?"

"Well, he thinks another hour or two but I'm not so sure it's a good idea yet." The ancient told him.

Richie was at a momentary loss for words. Eventually, he managed to question the man. "Why?"

"I'm not sure you're ready to go home. You'll need a lot of help." The Immortal told him.

Richie immediately went on the defensive at that. "I won't be any trouble, Mac. You won't have to do anything for me."

"You'll take care of yourself? Won't bother Tessa or me if you start feeling worse or need help?" Duncan questioned.

Riche nodded readily. "You won't have to do a thing. I'll stay out of your way. All I need is signed out. That's it. I won't bug you for anything else, I swear."

"Just as I thought." Duncan replied, nodding his head solemnly. "You're not near ready to come home, yet."

"Please don't leave me here, Mac." Richie pleaded.

"Richie, how many times do I have to say it? I'm NOT leaving you." Duncan replied, placing a hand on each of the teen's shoulders to emphasize his point. "But I can't let you come home and hide how you're feeling, either. The doctor said you could leave if we took care of you, but we can't do that if you hide how you're feeling."

"I won't." Richie contradicted his previous statements quickly. He was willing to promise anything to get out of there.

But Duncan was far from satisfied. "You just said you'd take care of yourself. Look where we ended up when I let that happen. This little hospital trip has made it very clear to me that you need a lot more attention than you let on. I'm not psychic, Richie. If I don't know what you need, I can't take care of it and if I can't then I guess we'll have to stay here. At least here there are machines to tell us what's wrong and doctors to tell me what you need."

"Mac." Richie whined to the man.

The Immortal wouldn't hear it, though. He had a point and he was going to make it. "I don't want to hear it, Richie. First you run off in the middle of the night because you don't want to come to me when you misunderstand something I say. Then you hide how sick you are. And to make matters worse, when I figure out what's wrong and try to help you, all you can think about is how mad I'll be about you needing taken care of."

"But, Mac..." Riche made a futile attempt to interject.

Duncan continued, ignoring the interruption. "And now you tell me if I take you home, not only won't you let me take care of you, but you won't even tell me if you start feeling worse."

"I didn't mean to." Richie tried again.

Duncan, again, ignored the teen's interjection. "I'm not a mind reader. I don't have my instincts honed yet to sense what you need. How can I take you home when you're still sick if you're going to hide how you're feeling from me? It would be dangerous and irresponsible. You deserve better."

"Please, Mac. I promise that I'll..." Richie was near tears now.

But Duncan was refusing to waver until he was completely satisfied that the teen understood where he was coming from. "I guess we'll just have to camp out here for a while. I'll have to let the doctors and nurses get you better while I figure out how to convince you to rely on me."

"Mac." Richie said pitifully. "Please, take me home." Normally, he would have been able to hold back the emotion. He had been left places before; he should have been able to handle it. But he was sick and tired and scared. And Duncan had promised to stick by him no matter what. It was just too much to take. He felt so lost; he didn't even realize that he had begun to cry.


	13. Bargaining

"Richie." Duncan replied tiredly, the tears compelling him to respond to the boy's pleas. "I'm going to take you home. I just think we need to wait until."

"Anything you want. I'll do anything you want." Richie interrupted him; tears now pouring freely down his cheeks.

Duncan looked down at him, stupefied. "I want?"

"Anything." Richie repeated desperately in a trembling voice. "Just please take me home."

The Immortal stared down at him, completely at a loss about how to respond. The teen wouldn't listen to reason. He wouldn't even hear the reassurances Duncan was offering. The promises he had made to stick by him meant nothing to the teen. Not even when he made them legally binding. He had no idea what to do to reassure the boy. As he continued to gaze down at the terrified child, he finally remembered the only time Richie had ever been prepared to believe his reassurances. Only when Duncan held him, had the boy been even remotely willing to believe his words. Obviously, Richie was more trusting of physical affection than verbal reassurances. It was a mindset the ancient was willing to cash in on.

Gripping the boy behind his shoulder blades, Duncan pulled the child up and wrapped his arms tightly around the startled youth. A brief moment of panic overcame the man as he felt the teen stiffen in his arms. He hoped desperately that he had not misjudged the teen's needs. Holding firm for a few tense seconds, Duncan was more than a little relieved when he felt Richie melt in his arms.

"Richie, I only want what's best for you." Duncan told him gently, continuing to hold the boy tightly to his chest.

Richie, who was relaxing noticeably, finally responded in a very uncharacteristically serious tone. "Can I go home with you?"

"I promise you, Richie." Duncan began. "When I walk out of here, you'll be with me."

"You promise?" Richie parroted tentatively, wanting the reassurance repeated.

It was reassurance the Immortal was quite willing to repeat. "My word of honor, Richie. I won't leave this hospital without you."

"Can we go home today?" Richie replied, deciding to test the waters.

The response made Duncan smile. Richie had managed to bring them back to the topic the teen was most interested in, and the Immortal was most anxious to avoid, beautifully. "Richie."

"Please, Mac." The teen, who was immediately able to recognize that the man's tone was not in his favor, quickly interrupted. "I promise to listen to you."

"Listen to me, huh?" Duncan returned, smiling to himself at the idea of it.

"Whatever you want from me." Richie replied quickly. But it was the tone of his next few words that melted the ancient's resolve. "Please, just take me home."

"Richie, I." Duncan once again started to attempt reasoning with the teen. However, as the boy tensed in his arms, Duncan gave up on what he now realized was a futile argument. He wanted to take the teen home as much as Richie wanted to go. He finally replied. "Okay."

"Really?" Richie pulled away from the man just enough to look up at him.

The question provided Duncan the opening he was wanting. "You'll do everything the doctor says?"

"I swear." Richie replied immediately.

This immediate response allowed Duncan to quickly resume his line of questioning. "And you'll let Tessa and I take care of you?" When the teen nodded, Duncan pressed on. "You'll tell us how you're feeling? Let us know if you need anything?" As the teen continued to nod, the Immortal decided to throw in a last question to see how far he could take this unquestioned authority. "Let us baby you?"

As Richie froze, Duncan laughed out loud. "Okay." He finally said. "When the doctor says it's all right, we'll head out of here. Deal?"

"Deal." Richie replied.

Slowly, Duncan eased the teen back onto the pillow, hoping that he had handled the situation well. As he looked down at the boy, that train of thought disappeared, however. His attention was once again turned to the teen's present physical state. Richie was flushed and sweaty.

"Rich?" He questioned worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Richie replied.

Duncan frowned down at him and placed his hand on the teen's head. "You're really hot again and you're flushed."

"I've been pressed up against you, Mac." Richie calmly answered.

Duncan wasn't entirely reassured, however. "Still." He stood up to find a roaming doctor or nurse to provide him with some reassurance.

As if on cue, a nurse entered the partitioned area before the Immortal could even clear the bed. Duncan immediately settled back down again and waited for her to address them.

"Ready to get that IV out?" She asked the teen.

As Richie nodded readily, Duncan addressed her directly. "How's his fever?"

"I was just about to check. " She replied patiently.

Sticking the thermometer into the teen's mouth, the trio remained frozen in silence until the device finished its work. Frowning, the nurse announced the verdict. "You've definitely gone up."

"What now?" Duncan asked.

Giving the teen a tight smile, she replied. "A cool cloth soaked in ice water."

"No, nuh uh." Richie replied quickly, sitting up slightly as he spoke. "No way is this sadist attacking me again with her torture devices."

"Richie." Duncan admonished. "Don't be rude."

"She dumped me in a tub of ice." Richie argued. "And she held me under. She's evil."

"We had to bring down your fever." The nurse replied calmly. "And we're not going to do that this time. I promise. I'm just going to cool you down with towels. They aren't any bigger than dishcloths."

"No." Richie replied definitively. Then, for dramatic effect, he held up his arms in the shape of a cross in front of the woman. "You and your wicked torture devices aren't touching me again."

"Richie." Duncan replied sternly, fighting the urge to laugh. "Stop it."

"She isn't touching me." The teen replied.

Duncan sighed before turning to the woman. "How about if I do it?"

"You want to?" The nurse replied, doubtful.

"Would it be all right?" He questioned.

"Well, you'll have to deal with him at home, so you might as well start now." She replied, grateful for the reprieve. "I'll bring you a bowl and some towels."

"I thought you were going to listen." Duncan said pointedly as soon as the woman was out of earshot.

But Richie shook his head quickly. "I said I'd do what the doctor said and let you and Tessa take care of me. I never agreed to let _her _torture me."

"Do you know how bad you are?" Duncan questioned.

When the teen looked up at him worriedly, Duncan quickly buffered the comment by leaning over and ruffling the boy's hair. The Immortal was relieved when Richie broke into a grin.

* * *

"Mac, stop." The whine in the teen's voice made him seem years younger than he actually was.

As he once again pulled away from the man, Duncan gently grasped the boy's ankle and pulled his leg back as he continued to run the cool cloth across the heel of Richie's foot. "I'm almost done, Richie. Just one more leg."

"It's really cold." The whining had begun before the Immortal had even made his way down to the teen's neck. It hadn't ceased even momentarily since.

Duncan could only imagine how much Richie struggled when a group of strangers held him in ice water. No wonder the nurse was so willing to allow the Immortal to administer this care.

"Richie, give me your foot." The Immortal said calmly as the teen pulled away when Duncan attempted to switch legs.

As he grasped the squirming appendage, Duncan admonished the teen slightly. "If you'd just hold still, I would be done a lot faster, you know."

"Just stop now." Richie replied.

Duncan would have looked up at him, but was busy concentrating on keeping his grasp on the teen. "I'll be done in a minute and you can warm up, okay?"

"What's the point of making me freeze if I get to warm right back up?" Richie questioned poutily.

Duncan frowned, not really knowing the answer to that question. He, too, didn't really understand how this helped. But, hey, who was he to question the hospital's orders? He had seen firsthand how much modern medicine had improved lives. Fortunately, however, he didn't have to address the question.

"It'll make you feel better." Tessa replied, as she walked into the partitioned area. "And bring down your temperature."

Finishing up on Richie's foot, Duncan pulled the blanket back over the teen's leg and deposited the filled bowl on the side table before rising to greet the woman. "Hey, there."

"Hello." Tessa replied, returning Duncan's kiss.

Turning her attention to the teen then, she frowned slightly. "How are you feeling, Richie?"

"Better." He replied quickly, still unsure of how to handle the Frenchwoman.

With a slight nod, she turned her attention back to Duncan. "I ran into the doctor on my way in. He should be along shortly."

True to his word, the doctor entered the area for a final examination of the teen. After a few more pokes and prods of the now yawning teen, a slue of instructions to Duncan and Tessa and a mess of paperwork for the Immortal to sign, Richie was set to head home.

"Can I have those?" Richie finally asked Tessa.

Looking down at the bundle of clothing she was holding, the woman finally realized what the teen was referring to. "Oh, of course."

Leaning over quickly, she handed him the entire stack, including the coat. Looking down at the handful bewilderedly, Richie contemplated how to maneuver the pile and change while still maintaining his dignity. Fortunately, Tessa quickly realized her mistake and took the stack back from him. "Sorry, Richie. I forgot what I was doing."

She sorted through the pile and pulled out the logical first item he would need. "Here, start with these."

"Oh." Richie turned beet red at the idea of the woman handing him something so personal; then even redder as he attempted to change under his standard hospital-issued sheets.

Laughing, Duncan finally decided to intervene. Taking the pile of clothing from the woman, he exchanged a knowing glance with her. "Give us a minute, Tessa?"

"Of course." Stepping outside the small area, Tessa covered her mouth to stifle the giggles being induced by hearing the two argue as Duncan attempted to assist the overly proud teen. She took a deep breath and calmed herself as Duncan called out to let her know she could reenter the area.

As she spotted Richie, his eyes drooping as he sat on the edge of the bed, clad in a pair of sweats and Duncan's far too large but appropriately warm winter coat, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

The clothing she had selected however, did not amuse Richie. "You'd think it was mid-January, with this coat." He mumbled.

"You're sick, Richie." Tessa replied, serious once again. As an orderly stepped between them and calmly helped the boy into a wheelchair, the woman resumed her argument. "You cannot run around without a warm coat."

"You couldn't have brought my green one?" Richie countered as he was pushed through the short corridor to the entrance nearest the waiting car. "This thing is going to swallow me whole."

Tessa cringed slightly at the mention of the teen's hideous jacket. "Stop fussing."

Richie briefly remained silent, deciding to give up on an argument that he was never going to win. It was taking too much energy and the teen didn't have too much to spare. As they paused briefly while Duncan brought the car around, the teen came up with his next line of questioning "Can I have my shoes?"

Tessa didn't accommodate him entirely, though. Leaning over, she plunked a warm pair of slippers on his feet, much to the teen's chagrin.

"Tessa I can't walk around the parking lot in these things. And I'll probably get a metal rod through my foot in the back alley by the loft." Richie attempted to reason with the woman, in a much more whiny tone than he had meant to use.

Willing to give the sick, tired boy a bit more leeway than she normally would, Tessa ignored the tone. "You're still sick, Richie; and tired. Your father will carry you."

Taking the woman's cue, Duncan handed her Richie's paperwork. "Time to go, partner." Duncan told the boy as he gently lifted him out of the chair to transition him to the backseat of the car.

"I'm too big to be carried." Richie told them as he wrapped his arms around the Immortal's neck.

Duncan smiled and moved his head slightly aside to allow Richie to burrow his face under the man's chin. "Of course you are."


	14. Milestones

Slipping into the loft behind Tessa, Duncan carefully removed Richie's coat as he carried the boy down the hallway. After a brief pause for Tessa to pull back the bedding and take the coat from him, he gently deposited his load into the bed. As he straightened himself, he was surprised to see the gentle way Tessa secured the blankets around the teen and brushed the boy's stray curls from his eyes. He lamented briefly on how wonderful it would be if she gave him such gentle care when the boy was awake.

Following Tessa out of the room, Duncan paused only to partially close the door. As they walked into the living room, he was pleased to see how calm Tessa appeared to be. Settling down with her on the sofa, he momentarily contemplated how to start the conversation he was quite anxious to have.

Fortunately, Tessa provided the perfect segue. "What are we going to do with him, Duncan?"

"He'll be fine, Tess." Duncan supplied.

But Tessa was not impressed. "Of course he will. That isn't what I mean. He is reckless to get himself so sick. And to not tell us he is feeling poorly just hours after our talk; it is almost as bad as running off like he did. How on earth are we going to get through to him?"

"We just need to pay better attention. Spend more time with him and earn his trust." Duncan replied.

That response earned him an annoyed look from the Frenchwoman. "What we need to do is make it clear to him that there are consequences to his actions. He needs to realize that this illness is a direct result of his reckless behavior."

"Tessa." Duncan countered. "He's going to make mistakes. He didn't think he was doing anything wrong by leaving. He genuinely believed it was the best thing."

"Well he was genuinely wrong." Tessa shot back. "He needs to understand that."

"He does, Tess. At least as much as he needs to. He's just afraid." Duncan countered.

The woman rolled her eyes at that. "That is ridiculous. What on earth does he have to be afraid of?"

"Not belonging. Getting thrown out. All sorts of things." Duncan explained. "We need to reassure him, not scare him."

"His head is in the clouds, Duncan. He's a smart boy but I swear sometimes he just doesn't think. Chasing fairytales across bridges, wishing away illness. He needs to get his head on straight."

"He has a right to be childish, Tessa. He's a child. Would you really want him to be completely logical? Personally, I'm glad he hasn't lost his ability to dream. Lord knows he's had to take care of himself for far too long. It's a small miracle that he still has such innocence."

"It's a miracle he's still alive. That's the miracle." Tessa shot back. "Such irrational thinking could get him killed."

"That's why he has us." Duncan replied quietly. "To protect him from the world while he has a chance to grow up gradually."

"You can't protect him forever." Tessa countered.

Which simply earned her an annoyed look. "Of course not. And you know as well as I do that he hardly requires constant supervision. He just needs guidance."

"What he needs is discipline." The woman replied.

Duncan was far from happy with that response. "He needs love and attention, so he understands that we want to take care of him. That way he'll trust us and not be afraid to come to us."

"You've just got all the answers, don't you?" Tessa finally spat. "It isn't that simple, Duncan. The world is a lot more complicated than it was when you were a child. You of all people should know how much things have changed. It isn't safe to be innocent anymore."

"Tessa." Duncan breathed her name, finally beginning to see that her uncharacteristic hardness was coming from fear for the teen. "No matter what we do, there's no way to guarantee he'll always be safe. You know that. We just do what we can to protect him."

"He almost died, Duncan." She said quietly.

The Immortal frowned. "He's all right now."

"If you hadn't found him, though. When I was just imagining what could have happened it was awful enough, but for him to get so sick. If he had been on his own, he never would have gotten to the hospital." Tessa stopped momentarily, blinking back tears. "It just hurts too much to even think about."

"I know." Duncan replied, wrapping his arms around her. "But he's with us now and he's fine. Everything's going to be all right."

* * *

Gently pushing the cracked door all the way open, Duncan immediately realized there was no need for him to continue trying to be quiet. Richie was wide-awake and watching him enter. "Hey, there. What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." The teen replied with a shrug, despite the bags under his eyes. "What's up?"

"Anything but your fever, I'm hoping." The Immortal replied, holding out a thermometer for the teen to see as he spoke.

Richie was not exactly thrilled by its appearance. Rolling his eyes, he looked up at the man. "Mac, I'm fine. You don't have to."

Cut off by the instrument being stuck under his tongue, Richie contented himself with just giving the Immortal a dirty look for his troubles. He was startled when it resulted in the man leaving the room. He had never meant to offend him that much.

Fortunately for the boy's fears of abandonment, Duncan reappeared quickly holding a bottle of medicine, a spoon and a glass of water. Fortunate for his fears all right. Not so much so for his taste buds, however. Richie knew firsthand how awful the purple slim in the bottle tasted. Suddenly, he was dreading Duncan removing the thermometer from his mouth.

That moment came all too soon. "100.2." Duncan announced. "Not great, but I'll take it. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." The teen replied quickly, hoping to convince the man he was well enough to do without the liquid that now sat in a bottle on his nightstand.

It was a completely unrealistic fantasy. As soon as the Immortal sat down the thermometer, he was twisting the lid off the bottle. Richie decided to take on the challenge. "Mac, really, I feel a lot better."

"Good." Duncan replied as he carefully poured the liquid onto the spoon.

Much to the teen's dismay. "Completely better."

"You still have a fever." Duncan said flatly, as he carefully offered the teen the spoon.

Richie had no intention of accepting the offering. "But it's a lot lower now."

"Uh-huh." Duncan replied and moved the spoon towards the teen's mouth when Richie continued to not take it from him. "All right now, open up."

"Come on, Mac. I really." He never should have opened his big mouth. Literally. Quickly swallowing, he grabbed the glass of water Duncan calmly offered him, giving the man a dirty look for his troubles.

Duncan couldn't help but beam at Richie's reaction. His pouting, fussing, funny faces and general dramatics would have tried another man's patience. But for Duncan, it provided peace of mind that Richie was getting more comfortable with him and not completely terrified of driving the Immortal away. Yes, Richie's childishness was definitely something to revel in.

As the teen finished his water and settled back into the pillow, Duncan was surprised when he groggily leaned over and grabbed the bottle off the nightstand. After a few moments of watching the teen stare at it, Duncan's curiosity got the better of him. "Rich? What're you looking at?"

"I am so sorry." Richie said quietly, turning to look at him with wide eyes. "I swear I'll pay you back."

"What?" Suddenly, the Immortal realized what it was that had captured the teen's attention. The price. "Richie, you're not going to pay me back."

"I swear I will." Richie said seriously. "For all of it: the hospital, the medicine, whatever you lost from having the store closed. I swear I'll pay you back."

"Richie, just stop it." Duncan retorted. "You are not paying me anything."

"Mac, I." Richie started to protest, but was startled into silence when Duncan quickly leaned over and grabbed the bottle from him.

Studying the bottle briefly, Duncan found what he was looking for and turned back to the teen. "What does that say?" He asked, pointing at the label on the bottle.

Richie looked up at him, a mixture of fear and confusion on his face at the unexpected question. "What?"

"Right there." Duncan replied impatiently, pointing at the exact line he wanted Richie to read. "What does that say?"

"Richard MacLeod." Richie finally read aloud. Looking up at the man again, it took him a few seconds to register what he had read.

As soon as Duncan saw the realization on the teen's face, he continued. "Who is that?"

"Me?" Richie replied, questioning the man as much as he was answering the question directed at him.

He received a nod in response. "That's right, you. And the last name, does it seem vaguely familiar to you?"

"It's yours." Richie replied automatically.

Which earned him yet another nod. "Uh huh. Which means when you became my son, your name became mine, just like you did. When I became your father it was because I _wanted_ to be responsible for you, Richie. All of you. Even your bills."

"Why did you?" Richie finally asked, vulnerability evident in his voice.

Duncan looked down at him intently. "Why did I what, Rich?"

"Adopt me. Why would you do that?" Richie responded.

The Immortal wrapped a hand around each of the teen's arms. "Because I want you, Rich. You deserve a family and I wanted to give it to you."

"How come you didn't tell me first?" Richie questioned, eyes brimming with tears.

Which Duncan chose to ignore momentarily. "That I was adopting you?"

When the teen nodded silently in response, the ancient explained his reasoning. "It wouldn't have been fair to you. Adults decide to have kids. Not the other way around. You shouldn't have to decide whether or not to have someone love you and take care of you. It's your right."

"Thanks, Mac." The teen replied quietly, allowing the tears to flow over.

Leaning over to plant a kiss on the boy's cheek, Duncan rested his hand on the back of the boy's neck. "You don't ever have to be grateful for me, Richie."

Rubbing the back of the teen's neck gently, Duncan allowed the boy a few moments to relax before addressing him again. "You look beat, partner. Think you can get some sleep?"

"Sure." Richie replied quickly.

Too quickly. Duncan wasn't convinced. "All right. Ready for a bed time story?"

"Mac." Richie whined, blushing for the first time since the Immortal had come in. "I'm way too old for that."

"You are not." Duncan told him flatly.

But Richie wasn't convinced. "Yes, I really am. Seriously."

"Fine." Duncan replied. "I'm not though."

"What?" The teen questioned.

Duncan smiled. "If you don't want me to tell you a story, you'll just have to tell me one."

"Me? Tell you a story?" Richie repeated skeptically.

When Duncan nodded resolutely, Richie shook his head. "I don't know any stories."

"Sure you do." Duncan replied calmly. "Tell me the one about the bridge."

"The bridge?" Richie repeated hesitantly.

But Duncan was feeling persistent. "The Tacoma Narrows. Tell me what drew you there. I know there's a good story behind it."


	15. The Bridge

"It really isn't that good of a story." Richie said quickly.

But Duncan wasn't backing down. "Tell me anyway. You have to know that I'm curious."

"I thought Jason told you." The teen replied quietly.

Duncan shook his head. "He just said you might be there. It had some meaning to you. That you use to talk about it."

"It was just a silly dream." Richie replied, yawning through his own sentence.

Climbing onto the bed to lean against the headboard, Duncan persisted. "Come on, partner."

"You swear you won't laugh?" Richie asked hesitantly.

Duncan wrapped an arm around him in response. "My word of honor."

"You know how I was in an orphanage when I was little?" Richie questioned.

It was a conversation that Duncan remembered vividly. When he had picked the teen up after his attempt to steal his foster care records, the pain in the teen's eyes when he talked about his stay in an orphanage stuck in Duncan's mind. "Yes."

"Well, I was one of the few little kids there. Most of the kids were older and they always talked about crossing the Tacoma." Richie explained.

Duncan wasn't clear on what he meant, though. "Why?"

"Every couple of weeks one of them would get to cross the bridge. It was, like, a huge deal. When their time was coming, they would get all excited and brag about getting freed." Richie explained.

But, again, Duncan wasn't totally clear on what he meant. "What did they do to cross the bridge?"

"Got emancipated." Richie explained quietly.

Finally Duncan understood. "The county line."

"What?" Richie replied, confused.

The Immortal patiently explained it to him. "The other side of the Tacoma is the next county over, Rich. When they turned 18, they were free to go wherever they wanted. Including the next county. Which is obviously somewhere they didn't go when they were wards of the court. They always kept you within the county, no matter how much you got shifted around, didn't they?"

"Yeah." Richie replied. Then he had a realization. "That's it, isn't it?"

"What?" Duncan replied.

Richie looked up at him. "It was all about being free from the state. Not being a ward of the court anymore."

"Probably." The Immortal replied, not completely sure what Richie was getting at.

The teen quickly spelled it out for him, fortunately. "It always seemed so exciting. They would talk about it for weeks. 'Gonna cross the bridge, be a free man. Start a new life.' It was like the bridge was magical. If you went across it, you'd be set. And it was just a stupid county line."

"And you thought if you crossed it, your life would change?" Duncan pressed gently, seeing that the teen was still reeling over the realization of what it had meant to his former idols.

"Sort of." Richie replied with a shrug, pausing temporarily to let out a yawn and shift away from Duncan. "When you told me I was to decide who it was, I guess it just got me thinking about it. I mean, I'm the same age as those guys were."

"You're only 15, Richie." Duncan reminded him quickly, securing his grip around the teen's shoulders.

Richie merely shook his head briefly. "Yeah, but I was supposed to be 18. That's how old they were. And I didn't have any idea who I was. So I figured, the bridge was the place to go. I didn't really know what else to do."

"And you had to walk it because?" Duncan pressed.

Earning him an odd look. "Well I can't drive and I didn't have the cash to take a bus or cab."

"All right." Duncan replied, managing to keep himself from laughing at the simple response. He had made the teen a promise and he intended to keep it.

To the Immortal's surprise, Richie continued talking. "It was so hard, though. I didn't realize how far it was and it was so nasty out."

As the teen shivered slightly at the memory, Duncan squeezed him closer, listening to him tiredly ramble on. "But it was too late to turn back. By the time I was halfway there, I knew it was a stupid idea. I mean, what can crossing a bridge really do? Tessa sure hit that one on the head. I had nothing waiting for me on the other side. But I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I guess I just figured I might as well keep walking. It wasn't like I had any other options."

Sitting silently for a moment, Richie finally let out a wide yawn. He continued on. "Brilliant, huh? All I managed to do was make myself sick and kill a dream."

"I don't know." Duncan replied. "Sounds to me like it worked."

"What worked?" Richie replied.

Duncan smiled at him. "Crossing the bridge. You did it to figure out where you belong, to get a fresh start, find a home. That's exactly what you got. Next time you need to find yourself, come to me though, okay? I'll put you in a good coat and drive you to the bridge myself so we can walk across."

"I'm exactly the same place I was before I left, Mac." Richie replied.

Causing the Immortal frustration. "Not quite." Duncan told him. "When you left you were a kid without roots. That isn't the case anymore, Rich. Take my word, you are firmly planted here with me."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." Richie told him quietly.

Wrapping his other arm around the teen, Duncan pulled Richie all the way in to rest on his chest. "Now you hang out here with me. You'll learn, grow up at a decent pace, play." When the teen didn't protest the 'play' comment, Duncan couldn't help but smile. Richie was very nearly asleep in his arms.

As Duncan sat silently, assuming the teen was asleep, he was startled by the boy's question. "Am I going to go back to school?"

"Well." Duncan replied, not sure exactly how to respond. "You've missed a big chunk of the year and we travel an awful lot. Would you be terribly upset if we home schooled for the rest of this year? Got you a tutor?"

"Nah." Richie eventually mumbled into his chest.

But Duncan wasn't entirely sure the boy would be okay with the idea. "Really? You couldn't play on the basketball team this year. You'd have to wait until you went back next year."

"Will you play with me sometimes?" Richie questioned, prying one eye open to look up at the Immortal briefly.

Duncan gave him a reassuring nod. "Of course I will, Richie. Anytime."

"Good." The teen replied, once again shutting his eyes.

But Duncan was not ready to end the conversation quite yet. "Your coach said Jason would come watch you play. How do you know him?" When Richie didn't respond, Duncan questioned gently. "Richie?"

"He was one of my foster mom's boyfriends. He helped me out sometimes." The teen finally mumbled.

Duncan persisted. "How'd he help you out?"

"Richie?"

"Rich?"

The teen was dead to the world, contently asleep on the Immortal's chest. Duncan finally admitted it to himself and decided he would just have to have those few lingering questions for a while longer. Running his hand through the teen's curls and giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead before tucking him in, Duncan was relieved to note that the boy's temperature didn't seem too high. Gently getting up from the bed, Duncan quietly crept out of the room and left the door cracked behind him.

* * *

As Richie looked over at the bedside clock, he was surprised to see that he had slept for nearly two hours. That only gave him a few more before Duncan came back to give him more medicine. That should be plenty of time, though, he reasoned. As soon as the Immortal had brought up the bridge, he realized what he needed to do and now was as good a time as any. He just hoped he could find Jason and get back into bed before the Immortal ever realized anything was amiss. 


	16. A Forbidden Meeting

Richie briefly contemplated shutting the bedroom door so any noise he made would be slightly more muffled. He quickly decided against it, though. He had no desire for it to let out a loud creak and alert the Immortal that he was awake. Pulling on his jeans and shoes, Richie was amazed at how much energy those simple acts took. His intention to pull on a sweatshirt was quickly amended by the simple fact that it was in his closet, four long steps off his path. He would just grab Duncan's coat from the store. At least that was on the way.

* * *

Sliding though the slightly ajar bedroom door, Richie carefully eased his way across the living room and into the store; relieved that he heard no signs of movement coming from the master bedroom down the hallway. Pausing briefly as he descended the stairs to replenish his strength and compose himself following a wave of dizziness, he caught a glance of what could only be Jason's car in the alleyway. Trudging the rest of the way down the stairs, he searched the office for a few wasted moments before remembering that Duncan had been wearing his coat when they came back from the hospital and it was most likely in the loft. Sighing, he slipped out of the building to join his waiting friend.

* * *

"Long time no see, little man." Jason greeted him easily when the boy made his way into the alley. 

Richie couldn't help but smile at the sight of his old friend. "Hey, Jason; good to see you. Thanks for coming so quickly."

"Your message said it was important." The man replied. "You know I'll always come if you need me to."

Richie shivered slightly and nodded in acknowledgement before replying. "Yeah, I know. New car?"

"I've gotten wiser. Moving up in the world." Jason replied. "Seems I'm the only one, though."

"Huh?" Richie replied, slightly thrown.

But Jason's wiry smile didn't tip the teen off to his meaning. "I see you haven't wised up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The teen replied defensively.

The tense reply earned him a slightly more disarming smile this time. "It's cold out, man. And you sure aren't looking top notch. Ever thought of a coat?"

"Oh." Richie blushed slightly at the observation. "I'm fine."

"Well, you sure don't look it; even in the dark." Jason countered; then abruptly dropped the subject. "So what's up?"

"You've been talking to my boss." Richie stated flatly, yawning in spite of himself.

"MacLeod." Jason replied with a nod, lighting up a cigarette to warm himself. "He came looking for you. I see he found you."

"With a little help from you." Richie replied.

The teen's response caused Jason to frown slightly. "He seemed really concerned. You pissed?"

"No." Richie replied honestly. "Confused, though. I never thought you'd help someone track me down."

"He's not the cops, Rich. He seemed to want to help you. Was I wrong? You need help getting out of here?"

"No, you were right." Richie responded. "I'm glad he found me. What all did you tell him?"

"Just to check the bridge for you." Jason replied casually, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Richie wasn't completely reassured. "You didn't tell him why?"

"I didn't figure it was mine to tell." Jason shrugged. "You don't want him to know?"

"I told him tonight." Richie admitted.

Jason gave him an odd look at that. "So why're you asking?"

"He said you didn't tell him." Richie explained. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't, like, testing me or something."

"Still having trust issues, huh?" Jason questioned.

Richie looked up at him seriously. "I learned from the best."

"True." Jason replied with a nod before turning serious. "He give you reason not to trust him?"

"No." Richie answered, surprised himself when he realized the truth in his own words. "He's been really cool."

"He seems to care about you." Jason noted.

"Yeah." Richie replied quietly. "He says he wants to be my dad."

"Seriously?" Jason questioned.

"Seriously." Richie looked up at him again. "He, like, made it legal and everything."

"Fostering you?" Jason replied.

"No." Richie answered with a shake of his head. "He, like, adopted me; got my name changed and everything."

"To what? Arthur?" Jason questioned, now concerned about the man's intent.

"No. It's still Richie." The teen assured him. "He just made it MacLeod, like him."

"He seriously adopted you?" Jason replied.

"Yeah."

But the man was still skeptical. "How could he do it so quick?"

"Mac has a way of getting through red tape pretty quickly." Richie replied.

"Amazing." Jason responded. "So you like it here?"

"Like I said, Mac's been awesome." Richie told him. "He came and got me from the bridge. When he found out I was 15, he didn't even care. He just, like, apologized for not realizing earlier and promised he'd start being my dad. And he's been totally fussing over me since I got back. He's taking care of me like you wouldn't believe."

"By letting you run around outside in the middle of the night with no coat?" Jason questioned skeptically.

But Richie was quick to defend the man. "He thinks I'm asleep in my room."

"Oh." Jason replied, not commenting on the lights turning on throughout the house even as they spoke. "So you do like it?"

"Well, his girlfriend, Tessa, isn't exactly sold by the idea of me. But even she's been pretty all right. And, like I said, Mac's been amazing. He never had kids of his own and I think he really likes the idea of having me around."

"So you think you want to stick around?" Jason questioned.

"Until they get sick of me, yeah; I like the place." Richie told him.

"Good, 'cause it doesn't look like you've got much choice, anyhow." Jason told him flatly.

This earned him a blank stair. "Huh?"

Richie turned to see what the man was pointing at and was surprised to find Duncan rapidly approaching them from the store. The teen barely managed to identify the blanket that sat at the top of the hall closet before he found it wrapped tightly around him.

Hoisting the startled boy into his arms, the Immortal turned his attention back to the man standing before him. "What are you doing here?"

"Talking to Richie." The man replied flatly.

But Duncan was far from satisfied with that answer. "What business do you have talking to a sick, tired little boy in a dark alley in the middle of the night?"

"He called me. I always come when Richie calls." Jason told him matter-of-factly.

Duncan was not impressed. "What do you want with him?"

"Nothing." Jason shot back. "I'm just making sure he's safe."

"He has me now." Duncan told him shortly. "I'll take care of him."

"You damn well better." Jason told him evenly.

Duncan turned furious eyes on him. "I want you to stay away from him."

"Well, that's just too bad." The man returned, looking at the teen instead of the Immortal as he spoke. "I've been looking out for Richie for a long time now. He needs anything; I'll be there for him."

The Immortal stared at him for a few seconds before responding. "Call next time."

The man didn't respond to the order. Instead he looked at the bewildered teen nestled in the Immortal's arms. "It's getting pretty cold out." He told the Scotsman. "Don't you think you ought to get him back in the house?"

Duncan looked down at the boy briefly before turning silently on his heals and heading back into the store.

* * *

Richie kept his eyes glued on Jason as he allowed himself to be carried back inside. It was not until Duncan had awkwardly pulled the door closed and continued to silently carry him towards the loft that he began to really worry about his current situation. He couldn't help but wonder what on earth the Immortal was going to do now. 


	17. Final Discussion

As Duncan trudged up the stairs and into the loft, Richie found himself desperately searching for Tessa. Whether or not she had been awakened due to his late-night visitor could be crucially in how things turned out for him. A wave of relief overcame him as he realized she was still asleep in the master bedroom.

However, that sense of relief was only momentary. As Duncan carried him into his bedroom, settled him on the bed and pulled off the teen's shoes silently, Richie really began to tense. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence that hung between them, Richie passively allowed the man to put him back in the sweats Tessa had brought to the hospital. Even as the Immortal wrapped the blanket back around him, carried him out of the room and settled with him in the living room armchair, Richie shared in the silence.

Just as the boy was about to reach his breaking point, Duncan finally ended the hush that lay between them. "What on earth were you thinking?"

"I just needed to talk to Jason." Richie explained quickly, hoping to dull the anger that he knew was about to explode from the man. "I didn't want to freak you out by leaving again so I asked him to come here."

"You didn't think finding you out in the alley in the middle of the night would 'freak me out'?" Duncan asked, unconvinced by the explanation.

"It was just for a couple of minutes." Richie defended himself, pulling his upper half free from the blanket, should he need to make a quick escape. "I didn't even think you were awake."

"So you figured you'd sneak out as I slept?" Duncan questioned evenly. "I think we've been down this path before, Rich."

"I just wanted to talk to him, Mac." Richie replied, desperately attempting to lessen the anger he knew Duncan was feeling towards him.

Leading nicely to Duncan's next question. "What was so important you had to sneak out to see him?"

"It was just..." Richie briefly considered trying to hide his reasoning. But as he looked into the eyes of the man holding him, he couldn't think of any answer other than the truth. "I wanted to know what he said to you."

"And you couldn't have asked me?" Duncan replied flatly.

"I did." Richie responded quietly, knowing that would be the straw to break the camel's back.

Duncan stared at him. "But?"

"I just wanted his side." Richie told him, amazed that the Immortal had not yet lost his composure.

Duncan was far from convinced. He responded flatly. "You wanted to see if our stories meshed."

"Mac, I just..." Richie didn't even know what to say. He had never intended to hurt the man's feelings.

But regardless of his intent; "You don't trust me."

"I do." Richie replied quickly.

Duncan was not born the day before, however. "So much that you snuck out in the middle of the night, putting your health at risk, simply to check whether or not I told you the truth about what we had discussed?"

"I just wanted to know what all he'd told you." Richie replied quietly.

Earning him a frown. "What are you so afraid of me finding out, Rich?"

"Nothing." Richie answered quickly. "I trust you, Mac. More than anyone else at least."

"That's not saying much, partner." Duncan told him with a sigh. "What am I going to have to do to earn your trust?"

When Richie shrugged sullenly, Duncan squeezed him briefly. "All right."

"Now what?" Richie asked quietly after a brief pause.

Duncan didn't even have to ask. He understood the full implications of Richie's words. The boy wanted to know what was going to happen to him now. He still didn't believe Duncan was going to keep him. It was a belief that tore at the Immortal's heart. "I guess I'll just have to keep trying to show you that I'm going to be here; keep protecting you; taking care of you; loving you. I'll just have to keep at it and hope one day you'll learn to rely on me."

"Loving me?" Richie practically whispered; overwhelmed by the word that he had always wanted to hear.

Duncan pulled him even closer. "Don't you know how much I love you?"

It was just too much for the teen to process. As tears began to stream down the boy's cheeks, Duncan wrapped his arms tightly around the child and gently rocked with him. Resting his chin on top of the teen's head, he responded resolutely. "More than anything, Rich. I love you more than anything."

After a few minutes Richie's sobs subsided and Duncan gently placed his hand under the boy's chin to turn the teen to face him.

"What happened to your head?" Duncan said.

That was not what Richie had been expecting at all. "What?"

"Don't you have enough sense to put on a coat, little boy?" The Immortal asked calmly, gently rubbing Richie's exposed arms.

The teen laughed at the unexpected question. "I meant to." He finally replied.

"But?" Duncan prompted, not seeing the humor in the question.

Richie looked up at him, realizing that the man would not be pleased with his reasoning. "Well, I had planned to get a sweatshirt out of my closet."

"And?" Duncan replied.

Richie blushed slightly. "And I didn't want to trudge over to my closet, so I just figured I'd grab your coat when I got downstairs."

"All the way to the closet, huh?" Duncan replied, knowing full well how tired out the teen must have been to find the few steps too far out of his way. "What about the coat, then?"

"Well, it wasn't in your office and when I was standing on the stairs I saw Jason was already here, so..." Richie trailed off.

However, Duncan was stuck on something other than Jason. "Why were you standing on the stairs?"

"Well," Richie had really not intended to mention the pause in his descent, knowing it would upset the man. But he couldn't bring himself to lie about it. Duncan had just been so kind and he couldn't lie to him. He simply admitted his reasoning. "I was taking a break."

"A break? From walking down the stairs?" Duncan pressed. "And what, exactly, made you need a break?"

"Worn out and dizzy." Richie said softly.

Duncan wasn't satisfied, however. "What?"

"I got kinda dizzy and was tired out." Richie admitted, slightly louder this time.

"You're too sick to walk down a flight of stairs, but you're roaming around outside, late at night, with no coat." Duncan stated flatly.

Richie looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Mac."

"You're sorry? Richie, you can't just..." As he felt the teen stiffen, the Immortal stopped himself. Really, what was the point? What was done was done. All that mattered was making sure it didn't happen again. "You know what, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?" Richie asked in disbelief.

Duncan paused briefly. "There's nothing we can do to change it now, is there? But let me be perfectly clear, Rich. You are not to get out of bed again. Until you are told otherwise, you will stay put."

"All right." Richie replied quickly.

The Immortal was far from satisfied, however. "I mean it, Rich. You don't go to the kitchen, the bathroom, your bedroom dresser or anywhere else without permission. Not one foot out of bed."

"I get it." Richie told him.

Duncan continued, though. "But you holler if you need something. You don't just wait it out. No matter how trivial you think it is. No matter what Tessa or I are doing. You don't wait for us to come in and you don't try to get things on your own. You yell for us. Clear?"

"Yes, sir." Richie replied, surprising himself with the pleasure he felt from hearing the command.

When a yawn escaped the teen's mouth, Duncan once again realized that it was the middle of the night. "Come on. Let's get you some medicine and back to sleep."

As Duncan once again rose with the teen in his arms, Richie couldn't resist questioning the man. "Mac?"

"Yeah?" He replied, already headed towards the boy's bedroom.

Richie was afraid to look him in the eye. "Are you mad about tonight?"

"I'm not mad, Rich." The Immortal said after a slight pause. "I was scared. And frustrated. But I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad to have you safe."

Depositing the teen in his bed, the Immortal added one more comment for good measure. "Don't you EVER sneak out like that again."

"Got it." Richie agreed seriously.

Turning on his heals to get Richie his next dose of medication; Duncan was relieved to realize that he actually believed the teen when he said he wouldn't sneak off anymore. It wasn't much. But it was a start.


End file.
